


Perpetual Soul

by Rabid-Bunny (rabid_bunny)



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: M/M, SebaCiel - Freeform, Tumblr, rabid-bunny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-07 01:25:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5438330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rabid_bunny/pseuds/Rabid-Bunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Checkmate."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Checkmate

**Author's Note:**

> ** ** Hey guys! yelisolis here. I'll be editing for my new friend Bunny from here on out. :) I hope you guys enjoy the story, there's an AWESOME ride ahead!

It was a dark and cloudless night. The� air was thick, groping every being in its overwhelming humidity. The scent of fresh lilacs and red roses floated on the wind adding to the mix of smells that were recently made present. Copper and burnt clay, bitter metals and salty must.

Blood. 

Ciel ground his teeth, smirking as he stood in a thick pool of red at his feet. He glanced down to see the face he would never forget for the rest of his short existence. The face responsible for his anguish. Responsible for the deaths of his beloved parents. The face that took everything from him. That led to the damnation of his soul.

The dirt smeared and tattered sixteen-year-old reached his hand out towards his butler looming close behind him, never taking his eyes off of the trembling and dismembered body at his feet. Sebastian stepped forward and swiftly planted a bottle of alcohol in it. Without missing a beat, Ciel cracked the bottle of clear liquor open and began pouring it messily on the body below him. When the figure began to let out gurgled moans for fear and knowledge of what was going to happen next, Ciel stepped back, slowly grabbing a small wooden figure out of his chest pocket. 

Long thin fingers held it up before two dual-colored orbs before flicking it towards the groaning body. The bloodied figure reached out a shaky hand to grasp it as it rolled towards their face, eye brows creasing in confusion as they opened the palm of their hand to see the king piece to a chess game.

Ciel signaled for Sebastian, who stepped forward and lit a single match.

"Checkmate."

The fire roared to life, starting with the alcohol soaked body and spreading to the large manor behind it, due to a precise set-up by the demon butler.

Ciel could barely even hear the wretched screams of the body being burned alive, or even of the entire estate behind him roaring to life with flames as he quietly walked away from the scene. He took a long swig from the alcohol he still gripped in his hand before throwing the bottle back over his shoulder without a glance. His mind was being muddled by floods of memories from his past. The hot air. The suffocating scent of blood and burning skin. Fire. The scents of _that_ night. 

And now the scents of this one. He smirked. Oh how he had changed in the past few years. 

The alcohol began to sink in, taking the edge off of the cuts he bore all over his body. A filthy hand swiped matted locks out of his face as he replaced the eye-patch that was in his pocket to its home.

What a beautiful night it was. With the gruesome scene disappearing in the distance now, the only sound heard was that of two pairs of shoes steadily pacing forward. It was a long way home. But Ciel wanted to walk. Not because he wanted this night to last forever, oh no. Simply because he wanted to feel the pain from his bleeding cuts, from his tired feet and almost broken bones. From the bruises that were going to appear black and blue - if only they had the time to. The scent of roses came back into the late night wind and tickled his nose. Oh how he loved that smell. Ciel licked dried blood from the corner of his mouth and smirked.

Tonight would be the last night he would bear his soul.

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _There is a long journey ahead. Sit tight._   
>  **rabid-bunny.tumblr.com**


	2. Perpetual

Sebastian unlocked the front door of the Phantomhive manor, swiftly returning the keys to his pocket before turning to face his master.

"My Lord?"

The butler held his arms out to the tattered and bloodied male, trying hopelessly to convince the boy to at least let him carry him through the manor. Ciel's wounds were not fatal but they were definitely still wet. 

And painful. 

The obstinate earl stared at the demon for a second before huffing out a predictable refusal.

"Sebastian. I am not ten anymore, nor do I need your help to walk. Let's go- _nrgh!_ " 

"Young master!"

Ciel hunched over, gripping his side as he squinted in agony. The alcohol had wore off long ago. Ciel probed his side gently. Yes, a rib was definitely broken. Perhaps even two. Sebastian grabbed the boy by his waist, in fear of him falling in the doorway, that is before Ciel stood up and smacked the butler's hands off of him.

"No! I said.. no." The boy slowly stood up straight and took a deep breath, not too deep so as to strike up another sharp pain to his side. Lifting his chin, he smirked at the face of his concerned butler. The now sixteen-year-old came to about six inches under the tall man's chin.

And Ciel took pride in every one of the three inches he grew.

"I can walk without your assistance."

Sebastian closed his eyes and exhaled as his master made his way into his home.

"As you wish."

Muffled footsteps echoed throughout the empty manor as the pair made their way to the master quarters. Ciel had ordered the house servants to stay at his estate in town for a month. That had been three weeks ago. They would be returning sometime next week.

To an empty mansion.

The young male walked straight into the bathroom and began stripping off the shredded garments he wore as Sebastian drew him a bath. Ciel winced as he peeled his blood spattered shirt off of his cuts. The lower half of his body was not so bad, other than the thick bruises that had unveiled themselves all over his calves. His feet were swollen and red but that was due to the long walk home. It was still the dead of night though. After they walked for about two hours, Sebastian had finally convinced Ciel to let him swiftly carry him home. Ciel bargained with him, allowing the butler to put them an hour away from the manor.

Ciel walked over to the mirror, finally stripped of all clothing. Except for his eye-patch. The male looked himself up and down, seeing the damage done to his body, Dark purple welts caressed his left side, wrapping around to the middle of his back. The teenager smirked. It may be four or five broken. The gashes that riddled his stomach were still closing but none caused him too much blood loss. He brought his attention to his face.

He was an absolute mess.

Dried blood splattered across his forehead, dark red lines lining the side of his face and neck. Dark locks of hair were matted to rosy cheeks from clotted blood. Most of it not his but still, nonetheless, blood. Dirt was smeared on almost every inch of the young male's body, giving the effect of him having been in some kind of warrior battle. Ciel let out a low chuckle at the thought. Him, a warrior? A hero? That was gold.

Sebastian peered at his lord briefly while getting together the preparations for the bath. He had never seen Ciel stare at himself completely naked in a mirror before. As a matter of fact, he had never seen the boy even glance in a mirror unless forced to. And now, when he was in the worst possible state, bloodied and beyond filthy, in pain...he was laughing. He was smiling and laughing at his reflection. This child..no, this man.. His life would be over. Tonight. He knew this and yet he chose now to reflect?

‘No.’ Sebastian closed his eyes as he folded three delicate towels at the bath side, ‘He is not reflecting. He is memorizing. Memorizing every single cut. Every gash, every scar, bruise and broken rib.’ The demon opened his eyes to see the male lick dried blood from the corner of his cut lip. ‘He is memorizing his pain so as to hope that he will never forget it. He is not reflecting on himself.’

‘He wants himself to be damned.’

Ciel tore his eye-patch off and tossed it to the side, speaking low to the beat up boy in the mirror.

"Earl Ciel Phantomhive, huh?"

The glow of the contract eye was brighter than it had ever been before. He knew it was because it was almost time. The male looked into both of his eyes. His stomach was light, his body was hot and his blood was running. He clenched his fists so hard he began to shake. The memories of the past couple of weeks floated into his mind, finding his prey, honing in on them and taking their life in the most gruesome way possible. But not before also taking the lives of their loved ones and making them suffer. He thought back to all of the mission's he went on as the queen's watchdog, As if he actually cared for anyone other than himself. His title and the role that came with it, were merely the means he used to get closer to his end goal. His fists clenched tighter still as he continued think back... To being put in a cage. Giving up his freedom. His family. His love. His… ‘ENOUGH!’

The fists stopped shaking. He thought of his parents. His mother's big blue eyes. His father’s warm smile. Ciel smiled at his reflection. It was the most genuine and soft smile the male had ever worn in his entire life. 

And then he shattered the mirror with a single fist.

"My Lord."

Sebastian stood behind the mess of glass and the mess of a boy. He glanced at the fresh blood sliding off of the boy's right hand.

"Your bath awaits you."

"Take me there."

Sebastian leaned forward and scooped up the teenager that had moments ago said he didn't need his help. It must be his rebellious phase. The demon smirked. If that were true then he has been in it his whole life.

Ciel winced slightly when let down into the hot water. The herbs and oils in the water eased his aching wounds almost immediately. It must be some kind of concoction from Agni and prince Soma. The male leaned back and closed his eyes as his butler began to work a nice lather into his soiled hair. The two spoke not a word during the remainder of the bath.

\---

Sebastian fed more wood into the fireplace, carefully billowing the flames. He heard the soft ruffling of the earl drying his damp locks across the bedroom. Even though Ciel had just taken a bath, Sebastian could smell the unique scent of his hair despite the distance.

Satisfied with his half dry hair, Ciel let out a soft sigh as he tossed the towel onto his bedside table. He closed his eyes, plopping himself lazily down onto the bed to sit up with his  
feet on the floor. He was surprised he didn't feel cold, what with the minimal amount of night clothes; A thin white night shirt that came to the bottom of his black underwear. ‘How superfluous.’ He thought arrantly. None of this mattered. His time was near its end. His eyes snapped open as realization finally hit. No. His time had ended long, long ago.

"Sebastian."

The butler who had been staring into the dancing flames for the past couple minutes rose from his spot, turning to face the teenage earl.

"My Lord."

Ciel lifted his arm from his side, reaching his up-facing palm out to his butler. The demon watched the boy with a contemplative expression. A few moments passed before Sebastian tread over to him.

The butler kneeled down onto one knee in front of his master, taking the small outreached hand into both of his. Ciel watched as Sebastian closed his eyes and brought the soft palm up to cup his face. The demon buried his nose into the flesh, taking in the exquisite scent of it. The young male looked towards his window, out into the night sky. The moon gave off such a serene feeling, despite the gruesome events that had taken place only hours before. Ciel softly curled his fingers, allowing his hand to properly hold the older man's face. Sebastian glanced up, surprised by such an action. Ciel seemed to be in his own world, still enchanted by the beauty of the night. Or maybe it was the darkness. The demon closed his eyes and smiled softly. Even now, the boy never ceased to amaze him.

Ciel's voice came out soft and steady as he spoke to his head servant.

"Sebastian. Will it hurt?"

The demon brushed his lips against the soft skin.

"Yes."

"Good."

He slid his hand away from the butler's face, standing up slowly. He left the man kneeling beside the bed, making his way to the window.

Sebastian turned to watched the boy stare blankly out the window. The demon rose, wandering over the join him, stopping two feet behind the sixteen year old. Sebastian felt the heat of the contract on his hand building up. He knew it was almost time. The devil gazed at the strong young man in front of him. Ciel had really grown. Remembering the beat up ten-year-old he had found and seeing him now was almost enough for him to let out a breathy chuckle. Almost. His gaze traveled from the dark mess of hair on top of the noble’s head to his lanky but toned muscles that were easily seen through the thin material of his shirt. Those years of training had really paid off. His legs were what gave him the few inches of height he'd gained, lengthening but keeping their youthful curves. What really interested the demon though was Ciel's stance.

His feet were flat on the ground, shoulder length apart, turned slightly outward. Anyone would think this is normal but what they don't know is the position that Ciel is standing in was one of great power. His stance was solid and ready. Sebastian could see the clenched muscles in the boy's feet. His footing held the rest of his body in such a way that even dressing as a poor boy, anyone that paid close enough attention could have guessed he was a nobleman. The boy carried himself without doubt, without a single shred of remorse. He was confident, arrogant, ready. His stance was unwavering. Unafraid. One of power.

Just like when he was ten.

This simple detail wiped the smirk right off of the demon's face. The boy had his resolve the day they made the contract. And when he saw Ciel turn around to face him, his contract eye glowing brightly, he knew the male still had it now.

Ciel looked into the eyes of his demon, his breathing picking up. He could feel the burning of the contract in his eye getting stronger.

"Let's go."

Something in the pit of Sebastian's stomach curled at the words. He stepped forward, closing the small distance in between him and and his lord. The demon removed his gloves slowly, tossing them to the side for no further need of them. Sebastian raised his left hand, the one containing the seal, and trailed a slender finger along the jawline of his prey, lifting his head. Ciel closed his eyes as his throat was exposed. The demon leaned in carefully, watching the small adam's apple bob up and down.

Sebastian rested his cheek against the boy's and closed his eyes. He needed this. He needed to indulge in this. This scent. His smell. He inhaled slowly. Ciel's breathing picked up, feeling the hot breath on his neck. Sebastian was taking his time. He had every right to.

The demon inhaled deeply. He could smell through the scent of lilacs from the soap, down to the small sheen of sweat the male had despite the bath minutes prior. He could smell the thick blood running through his thin veins. But that wasn't all.

Sebastian gripped onto the boy's face, inhaling again. He could smell his mind. His thoughts. His yawn in the morning when he rose and drank Earl Grey Tea. His evening strolls through the garden. Sebastian could smell that he only paid attention to the roses and nothing more. The demon smirked as he continued. His nose traveled up Ciel's neck and burrowed into his hair.

He smelled the sunlight from the passing summer that latched onto the end of each strand. He smelled the nightmares and the midnight sweats the male experienced. The frustrations that caused him to tug on the lengthy locks. The rain that soaked him through one day. Ciel stood still, his eyes twitching slightly as the butler brought his nose down, stopping it a centimeter in front of his own.

The demon ran his thumb gently over the two soft lips. Here he could smell his soul. His fury. His angst. Every single emotion his little lordling had ever experienced. The sadness, though it only lasted seconds, was embedded into his scent. His anger. His compassion. The boy was a charm.

Sebastian's mouth began to water as an onyx tipped thumb slightly parted the two lips. He leaned in, resting his nose right next to that enticing mouth.

Purity. The darkest soul you could've ever imagined yet it had the most brilliant core. It’s as if you had your favorite dessert laid in front of you and you knew the second bite would be even sweeter than the first. You see, there are people on this planet that are so very often considered "bad". But what many do not take time to realize is that more likely than not the “badness” is self-proclaimed. What makes a human evil? The actions they take? The choices they make? In that case, since no one is perfect, wouldn't we all be evil?

These pitiful souls are the ones who choose to be right or wrong. They try so hard to either fit in or stand out. These souls are common. Dirty. Tainted with dullness. un-fulfilling.

Ciel was different. He didn't care if he was good or evil. The difference with Ciel is that he figured it out. He didn't need to be good or evil. He just had to get what he wanted. If that meant he needed to do something good, so be it. The boy played dirty. And by playing dirty, he had to play nice. Funny isn't it? A master at games indeed. But the most important thing Ciel had discovered was that in all, there is no such thing as good or evil. And if there was, it really didn't matter. Because Ciel knew that no matter what, he was the worst of the worst, lesser than all that was dark and wicked. Immoral, sinful and corrupt.

He was human.

Sebastian crooked his thumb into the soft flesh of the boy's cheek, causing the him to release his jaw. The demon opened his mouth, turning his face to softly place his lips upon those of his charge.

Ciel's eyes darted open at the contact, not being able to say a word due to the hand that held his mouth open. Sebastian suddenly inhaled the boy's breath, causing one blue and one lavender eye to roll to the back of his head. Ciel closed his eyes. He became dizzy. He felt heavy. Sebastian took in another long draw. The boy's knees began to shake. He fell forward, slamming his mouth onto the butler's as he collapsed his his arms. Sebastian laid him down on the ground, keeping his grip on the boy's body as well as his mouth.

A few tears left the corner's of Ciel's eyes. He was shrouded into darkness. He couldn't open his eyes, or he didn't want to. It felt as though he was being suffocated into a dark burning abyss. His body shuddered, goosebumps rising on his flesh. Sebastian lifted his face from the boy in shock to see.. he was.. smirking. Why.. why was he smirking?!

Ciel felt every drop of blood in his body begin to slow down. He chuckled to himself. He loved every single ounce of pain he was receiving. He deserved it. His body shook slightly as he awaited the demon to finish the grueling task of taking what was rightfully his. He hoped it would be sufficient enough. And if it wasn't, it did not matter. Darkness. Light. It was all irrelevant now. He had done what he needed to do. No. What he wanted to do. And he had not one bit of regret.  
Better yet, he was more than ready to be done with this damned World.

Or for the World to be done with his damned soul.

The boy opened his mouth wide, a small trail of saliva running down his cheek as he wordlessly begged the demon to continue.

Sebastian leaned in, the glow of his red eyes staining the soft color of the boy's face. Working slowly, he lapped the trail of saliva up, following it to the male's mouth. The amount of words he could use to describe the serenity that was the flavor of the young boy were almost unfathomable to calculate.

_Sweet._

Sebastian replaced his lips taking in a deep breath.

_Bitter._

Ciel's body began to convulse softly, releasing small whines into the man's mouth.

_Luscious._

Sebastian's hand on Ciel's face twitched as he took another deep inhale.

_Wicked._

Ciel latched onto the butler's coat, gurgling out words that the demon had no idea would stop his cold blooded pulse.

"Sebas..tian...." The butler's eyes widened. How could he possibly have the strength left to..to move.. to think.. to speak?? He waited as quivering lips moved against his. Ciel cracked open two beautiful eyes, staring right up at him with a stone hard expression.

"... **make it burn.** "

The demon stared into the boy's eyes, the reflection of himself making his stomach instantly curl. He grit his teeth together. He knew what the word he was looking for was now.

_"Ack!"_

Ciel let out a cry when the demon leaned in and bit down on his lip, causing it to bleed. His vision drifted in and out, body going limp. He could see the butler's mouth covered in blood. Darkness. The demon licking his contract hand, smearing blood all over it. Darkness. The demon's fangs glinting in the moonlight as he began to yell something..something like...a name? Darkness.

Sebastian looked down at his contract hand covered in blood and at the slumped body in his arms.  
He let out a loud growl as the boy's head fell to one side. He knew what the word was now.

_Perpetual._

Sebastian picked the small limp body up off the floor, gliding across the room to set it down gently on the bed. He out a small grunt from the pain resonating from the contract hand. He would need to wait here.

He sat on the bed, swiping damp locks away from the seemingly peaceful face of the motionless body. The demon smirked to himself. What a dream. No. What a nightmare. His favorite one. Yes. The demon's favorite nightmare, indeed. I mean, it had to be, because after all- ...The body began to stir -this would be the demon's last one.

The words rang loud and clear in his mind. He had found it.

_A perpetual soul._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **To be continued..**
> 
>  
> 
> rabid-bunny.tumblr.com
> 
> ** Edited and proofread by Yelisolis **


	3. Breached

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...I'll see you in hell"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More like Chapter 2.5 because is it shorter than usual. A lot of emotion and importance in such a short amount of time. Please, enjoy.

A loud crack of thunder roared through the house, followed by a streak of lightning ripping through the sky. 

Ciel awoke with a start, gasping as his eyes flew open. The boy began to choke, his lungs drinking in air as if they’d never known it before. Two singular tears left the corners of his bright eyes, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to regain complete consciousness. A small bruised hand came up to wipe the drool from his cheek as he looked to his side.

He was in his room. Confused, the boy glanced at the clock. 8:57am. He would usually be up by now. Ah, but he wasn’t awoken. Where was his butler? Sebastian.

Ciel’s eyes burst open wide as memories of last night shot through him. _Sebastian!_

“Sebastian!”

The teenager threw the sheets off of his barely covered body, kicking his legs over the edge of his bed. Why the hell was he still alive!? He stopped momentarily when he caught sight of a cart across the room. On it was a well-made breakfast consisting of a French Danish with a side of freshly peeled apples. Next to it was a pot of tea with a single cup filled an inch under the brim. Ciel squinted, watching the steam rise from the cup. It was still hot.

“Seba- augh!”

The boy stepped out of bed, immediately falling on his front. He cried out in pain, remembering just how injured he was. A searing headache broke the silence in the room, making his head swarm. The male lifted himself up slowly, grunting from the effort while holding his ribs when he noticed the bandaging. He walked slowly to a new floor length mirror that now replaced the broken one from the previous night. Ciel lifted the thin white fabric of his nightshirt to reveal bandages going all across his ribs. And they didn’t stop there. Every cut and scrape on the male was covered. White bandages crossed over his arms, hands, forehead, thighs, calves…

_“Tch!”_

The healing strips of white pissed the teenager off even more. Quickly gaining his balance from pure anger, the Earl left his room, swinging the door open and rushing down the hall.

“Sebastian!”

The boy’s voice echoed throughout the servant-less manor. 

“Sebastian! Where are you?!”

Ciel picked up the pace, lightly running from room to room, flinging open door after door and letting them crash against the wall without closing them back.

“Stupid Demon! Show yourself!”

Ciel stopped when he reached the front of the mansion, gasping for air from his asthma and weak state. He propped himself up on the front door frame, staring out the window at the raging summer thunderstorm. The thin boy grabbed the bottom of his night shirt, pulling it up to wipe the light sheen of sweat off of his forehead. 

He slammed his fist against the window when something suddenly caught his eye. Something black from within the greenhouse.

Without losing a beat, Ciel flung the front door open, sprinting out into the rain. 

“Sebastian!”

The small boy immediately became soaked as he ran through the storm, shouting out for his butler in pure confusion and rage. Wet strands of hair wiped over his eyes as he ran, feet splashing through puddles of mud as he drew nearer to his destination. 

The door of the greenhouse slammed open, the glass on it threatening to break, revealing a huffing and beyond angry Ciel in the doorway. The boy caught his breath quickly, looking at the back of the tall figure.

“Sebastian!!”

The butler turned around quickly, eyes widening at the sight of Ciel. The boy was soaked through splattered with mud, face flushed from overexertion for sure. Sebastian straightened up, standing still as the young earl stalked toward him, stopping a foot away. 

The sound of rain pounding against the thin panels of glass above the two filled the area. Ciel didn’t need words. 

Two eyes, blue and lavender, bore into Sebastian’s with rage. The boy grit his teeth, clenching his fists together as he silently awaited a response from his sorry excuse of a butler.

No. Of a demon.

Sebastian erased that usual surprised expression off of his face, sighing and regaining his butler aesthetics. “Young master.”

The demon set the pair of plant shears in his right hand down on one of the flower pots, bringing Ciel’s attention to the greenhouse. The boy’s jaw slightly dropped from the sight. The amount of roses that were planted before were nearly…doubled. His eyes scanned the entirety of the beautiful garden, nose filling with the sweet scent of his favorite fragrance. 

Feeding his fury even more. The boy clenched his fists harder, his nails digging into his bandages and palms.

“Why…”

A soft smirk crossed Sebastian’s face, “Ah, because they are my master’s favo-“

“WHY AM I STILL ALIVE?!”

Ciel’s voice ripped through the small space, bouncing off of the windows. Sebastian eyed the boy’s saturated bandages, the one on his head beginning to slide off.

“My lord, you will catch a cold in this sta-“

“Answer me!”

Thunder tore through the sky, leaving dreadful silence in its wake as the rain continued to patter, the boy continued to stare, the butler continued to remain silent.

Sebastian reached to the side, tenderly cupping a rose in his hand and smelling it.

“Beautiful.”

Ciel was about to object, stopping mid-breath when a certain look from those red eyes stopped him.

The butler continued. 

“Dangerously beautiful. The rose is the most underestimated flower of them all. Its’ beauty reaches the hearts of every man, making it a symbol of happiness. Love. Purity. Interesting indeed. Humans only tend to accept things for what they appear to be. But to its’ core,” Sebastian removed a glove, bringing his finger down hard on a thorn “its’ beauty is what makes it almost evil incarnate itself.”

Ciel watched in silence as blood began to bubble onto Sebastian’s finger, dripping off and splattering onto the ground.

“That is what truly makes it beautiful, you see. You cannot have something so precious without a sacrifice. It is as charming as it is dangerous. Holding it close, you can smell it, indulge in it, keep it near you, only to be pricked every single time, drawing blood as deep a red as its’ petals-“

“What the hell does this have to do with anything?”

“Such a beauty must be admired, no? What happens if I pluck it?”

The demon plucked the rose right off of the bush.

“Now I can admire it wherever I go. Ah, but what good is that? Now, soon its’ petals will lose their color and fall off, the attractively dangerous thorns will wilt and in its’ wake, a matter of minutes crippling the wonder to nothing but trash. There will be nothing but the sad reminder of such an enticing balance between the beautiful..” the demon sniffed the flower “..and the damned.”

“It would have died anyways”

“yes, but could you walk eternity with knowing you were the cause?”

Ciel had had enough. Reaching up, the boy snatched the rose from his butler, smashing it into the ground and stomping a small bandaged foot over it.

“I’ll KILL IT Sebastian!”

The demon watched the raging earl, drops of blood showing through the underside of his foot from the thorns.

“It is too troublesome to live!”

“Ah,” Sebastian grabbed the boy’s shoulders, reaching up to turn the small chin towards his face “or too beautiful to die-“

“ENOUGH!”

Ciel slapped the demon off of him, licking the side of his mouth and tasting dried blood from his bottom lip “Sebastian! Take my soul!”

“My Lord, I-“

The demon’s words were cut off abruptly as small hands reached up, grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket and crushed their lips together. The young male opened his mouth, breathing out to draw the demon in nearer.

Red eyes shot open, inhaling the sweet essence that is this boy. So delicate. So wretched. So..

“Ngh!”

Ciel flew back, the demon ripping their attachment apart. The boy watched as the Sebastian held a hand up over his flushed face, gasping as if he were trying to hold himself back from something.

Taking one step forward, Ciel closed the distance between the two again, lifting his hand..

And smacking Sebastian with all of his might.

“You’re weak!”

The demon turned his face back to the boy, taking in the sight. Tears pricked at the corners of the big bright eyes, a small blush of pink crossing his nose. His whole body shook with rage. The demon smirked. Maybe he was weak. But he would take weak any day if it meant never taking the fury out of his master’s eyes. How enticing. The boy was truly something he would never get over.

“You stupid demon! Fulfill our contract! We had a deal! You bastard-!”

The demon grabbed the boy’s hand as it came up to strike him again, pulling the small body close to his and locking both of its’ arms behind the males back.

“It has already been started, my Lord.”

“Nngh! What are you-“

“The contract can only be started in blood-“

“Agh”

“And broken by it.”

The boy suddenly stopped squirming, memories of the previous night flooding into him. The demon biting his lip. He wasn’t licking his contract hand last night. He was laying the blood from Ciel’s lip on it! Searing pain shot through the young male’s contract eye.

“Augh!”

“Ciel Phantomhive”

Ciel looked into red eyes in surprise at the sound of his name on his butler’s lips for the first time.

Sebastian reached down with his gloved hand, slowly moving it up under the boy’s shirt, causing him to gasp.

“W-wha-nngh!”

The demon seized one of the long bandages, untying it and quickly bringing the strand up. Ciel was left a confused mess as the demon took the long piece of fabric and bound the boy’s arms so he could not move.

“What the HELL is THIS?!”

“From this day forth-“

“Don’t you DARE, I SWEAR-“

The demon lifted the finger that was still bleeding, using the rest of his hand to hold the boy’s contract eye open. Ciel continued to shout slurs, fight and squirm with all his might, his strength nothing against that of a demon’s.

“-our covenant, between demon-“

“NNgh, Sebas-“

“and boy-“

“Damnit, I will FIND YOU!”

“is severed.”

“You are _MINE! SEBASTIAN!_ ”

The words seared through Sebastian, sending a pang somewhere deep inside of the butler.

A small drop of the demon’s blood dripped down onto the contract in Ciel’s eye, causing it to turn bright red. The boy suddenly stopped moving, feeling waves of darkness come over him. He knew this feeling all too well. Although he was still alive, he was losing consciousness. But more importantly, he was losing his first class ticket to paradise. To his sweet damnation. All doors forever closed.

Ragged breaths escaped the small body as Sebastian scooped him up into his arms for what he knew would be the last time. 

“You will awake after one day. The servants are already on their way back to look after you.”

Ciel fell deeper and deeper into the darkness, trying desperately to claw his way back up. Back to Sebastian.

The demon watched as tears fell from the boy’s eyes, wiping them and caressing a small cheek with his hand. Beautiful indeed. He stepped outside into the rain, both he and his precious winter rose becoming dampened from what was a soft drizzle now.

“I am sorry, my Lord.”

A small weak limb suddenly reached up, grabbing the back of the butler’s neck and pulling his face close. He should have been out cold by now, but the boy never ceased to amaze the demon.

Sebastian bent down closer to the boy’s face, breathing out when two eyes opened to meet his.

Small quivering lips began to part, rain dripping off of them as Sebastian took in the whispered last statement he would hear from the sweetest desire he would ever know.

“…I’ll see you in hell.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened as he watched the last strings of the contract in the boy’s eye disappear, both orbs rolling straight to the back of his head.

The demon hugged the limp body closer.

For some reason, he couldn’t help but believe those words were true.

“Yes…my lord.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rabid-bunny.tumblr.com
> 
> ** Edited and proof-read by Yelisolis :]


	4. Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of people think that when a demon is ‘not needed’ or ‘off-duty’, he returns to what is known as Hell. People feared this place, sacrificing, praying and withholding, doing everything they possibly could to avoid ever going there. Well.. news to them. There was no such thing. Yes, there is a place only demons could go. But in reality.. 
> 
> Hell was wherever you made it.
> 
> And Sebastian walked in his every single day.

“What a noisy night.”

Sebastian released a steady breath. Perched high atop a building, the demon overlooked the town far below him. A strong wind came in, whipping long shoulder length black strands of hair across the handsome face. He smirked arrogantly to himself as he focused his gaze below him. He took a rare moment in the midst of the numbing agony that had become his existence, to revel in one of the few perks of no longer being bound... Humans could only see him when he wished. The demon was swathed in black leather from his neck all the way down to his pointed boots with wickedly sharp blades as heels, his hands and head being the only areas exposed. Large buckles adorned the skin tight outfit every here and there, wrapping tight around his thighs, arms, midsection. Each one representing a year. His kind very easily lost track of time, the span of a human’s life seeming rather inconsequential in comparison to the eternity in which demons lived.

“Hmm..”

Unlike his brethren however, Sebastian was very aware of the passage of time for had something he did not wish to forget. Reaching down the onyx tipped fingers of his left hand, he to counted the buckles for the millionth time.

Six.

It had been six years since his existence had lost all meaning.

Hunger? What was huger but a constant reminder of the treasure he had turned away from?

The once imposing devil lifted his arms, resting his hands behind his head as he continued to stare at the meaningless lives beneath him. The irony of his situation was almost humorous. Almost. A demon, a monster of all forms, roaming the human world. Nowhere to be, nothing to do, no one to see.. Many people were of the mind that when a demon was ‘not needed’ or ‘off-duty’, they returned to the realm known as Hell. People feared this place, sacrificing, praying and withholding, doing everything they possibly could to avoid ever going there. The reality being that while there is a place only demons could go, it was not Hell.

For Hell was not a place, but a web...

A web spun from one’s own sin, regret, and despair...

And Sebastian lay tangled in his... 

Every.

Single.

Day.

Since the contract had broken, Sebastian wandered listlessly. Not going anywhere in particular. Just never wanting to stop. If he stopped, he had time to think, and his mind only drifted to one thing… Ciel. Every single moment in time was an agonizing knife to the demon. Pain was something new to him. As were feelings in general. He had always thought it impossible to feel anything but deprived of ravishment... But pain? Yes, that was most definitely something new. _Hmm.._ It was rather funny really. To realize just how much of that boy had rubbed off on him. To finally understand why the teenager had so adamantly wanted to be in pain in the end. He wanted to _feel._ To be reminded that it was not a dream.

 

_Sigh._ To be reminded that it was _real._

Sharp pains seared through the him, the residual emptiness from a broken contract as well as his eternal hunger attempting to cripple him. He stood, unmoving. Reveling in the pain that ripped through every part of his body. It was his reminder. His sanctity. 

The only reason he continued to go.

The demon licked his enlarged canines, biting fiercely but gently on a small piece of blue fabric that was tied at his left wrist, wrapping it around the contract on his hand and tightening it with the sharp teeth. Another gust of wind came, fluttering the loose strands of the knot, lifting the scent from it straight to the demon’s nose.

Sebastian inhaled, closing his eyes. Vivid memories began to crash through him. His fingers began to tremble, feeling velvety soft skin beneath them. His mouth watering, the taste of plump pink lips drifting over his tongue… The demon opened his eyes. This was not the time. As a matter of fact, no time would ever be the time. What is done is done. Gone. He smirked.

Gone but never forgotten.

The demon’s eyes shot open, ears perking at the sound of something suddenly catching his attention.

Sebastian lifted the fabric to his nose, breathing in one last breath of the blue ribbon that belonged around someone’s neck before diving head first off of the building and into the darkness of the night.

~~~

_“Ack!”_

“Where did you hear that name?”

“W-what is WRONG with you? Aren’t you a demon too-ARGH!”

Sebastian shoved the heel of his boot further into the younger demon’s throat, blood spilling onto the cold stone street.

“-cough- O-okay! Get the hell off of me! I’ll tell y-“

“Please refrain from struggling, it is highly bothersome. You will tell me either way.”

The boot ground further causing the red eyes of the demon on the ground to go wide.

“FiNE! -cough- There was a large summon placed.. about an hour or so ago! Some soul that is one of the most delicious souls I’ve ever sensed has opened a blood summon! _Ack!_ ”

“Where?”

_Crunch_

_**”ARGH!**_ I BLOODY WELL DON'T KNOW! But I will find it!”

Sebastian removed his heel from the demon’s throat, blood spilling out before the lanky creature began standing up slowly.

“Why are you-nnh attacking your own kind, you damned mongrel?” the demon coughed blood, “If you want to fight for a soul, we can do it fair and square! All you had to do was say s-“

Sebastian waited until the demon stood all the way up, before asking his final question.

“What was the name?”

The smaller demon let out a low chuckle, looking the older demon up and down with a derogatory glance, blood still gushing from his healing wound.

“Oh? So you DO want it first, is that it? Ha! That’s fine. I’ll fight you for it, eh? But I guarantee you, I will not lose. It’s been centuries since I’ve sensed a blood summon this strong-“

**”The name.”**

The eyes of the younger demon widened at the sudden demonic tone leaking from the man. He chuckled, raising his head to look his superior right in his eyes.

“Ciel Phantomhive.”

Searing hot pain flooded through Sebastian. It was as he feared, his ‘nightmares’ becoming a reality. The younger demon in front of him crouched down, seeming to prepare for a battle. Sebastian let out a small air of breath, turning to walk away...

Before swinging back around with a roundhouse kick, the blade on his heel completely severing the younger demon’s head from his body. 

Blood splashed across the walls of the dark alley way, the headless body falling to its’ knees and keeling over. Sebastian lowered his leg forcefully, flinging the remains of the filthy demon’s blood onto the ground.

“Ah. So it seems I’ve heard correctly. How troublesome.” Sebastian turned, stalking out of the dark alley way as he thought of his next move before vanishing in a dark flash.

Light footsteps emerged from the back end of the alley. The figure stepped out of the shadow, walking slowly over to the headless body and eyeing the red blood, watching as the corpse soon turned into black dust, the blood withering away. They looked up towards the entryway of the dark place, gazing into the space where the tall demon had stood just moments prior.

“Hmm…Interesting.”

~~~

_How troublesome._

Sebastian stepped over the three mutilated bodies of demons, stopping at the edge of a symbol written on the bottom of the barely lit basement’s floor. 

The demon ground his teeth, a frown burrowing on his face at the scrawled out pentagram on the stone cold floor. From one end to the other, the symbol spanned about four feet. But that wasn’t what the demon was upset about. No, it wasn’t the symbol itself at all.

It was the fact that is was written in blood. A lot of it. And not just anyone’s blood...

The demon adjusted the black cloth he had wrapped around the bottom half of his face. Sebastian glided over to the far end of the basement, grabbing a bucket full of water from catching leaks in a pipe. Stalking back over to the symbol, he threw the water onto the stone floor, making sure to wash away every trace of blood that was there. He replaced the bucket, eyeing the corpses of dust beyond the symbol. He tugged on the cloth at his face, sighing and heading for the stairs leading up to the outside entrance of the basement he was in.

What the hell was he doing? He had no clue.. but he had finished. 

“Sebastian.”

The once butler stopped, eyes flickering open wide at the sound of his given name. Every muscle in his body was frozen, his right foot stopped on the first step. Pain seared through the demon, fire coursing through his veins and searing every nerve in his body. Silence echoed loudly between the two, Sebastian’s back still towards the figure.

Footsteps came from behind a hidden door at the far end of the basement. The demon listened still not moving an inch. The footsteps stopped at the edge of the shadows, waiting for a response.

The demon fisted his hand tight around the ribbon, channeling all the strength he could.. to take one more step up the stairs.

“I know it’s you. Sebastian.”

Hot shards ripped through the midsection of the man. He took one more step.

“Did you really think that cloth would hide your identity? I’ve known all this time. How you’ve been watching me, protecting me in the shadows..”

Another step.

“Just like you did in that alley way..”

Sebastian swallowed, his next step faltering. _He knew? Well of course he did._ The devil smirked with pride. _Such keen observational skills were to be expected of the Earl of Phantomhive._

Alas, another step.

The figure smirked in the shadow, stepping out into the light.

“And did you really think…that was the only summoning symbol I made?”

Sebastian halted, eyes going wide, teeth grinding even harder. Without a second thought to spare the demon turned around, jumping off the staircase to stand face to face to the figure on the opposite end of the room.

But Sebastian was nowhere near ready for the sight he was about to see.

The devil froze. If breathing was a necessity for demons he was sure he’d be dead by now.

Across the room stood the now 22 year old male. He reached a proud 5’9, hair neatly done, tucked behind on ear, dressed in a finely tailored suit, black as night. To match his silk eye patch.

Ciel Phantomhive.

“I knew you’d come.” 

The demon sighed in defeat, tearing the black fabric off of his face and tossing it to the floor. Ciel looked his former demon up and down, swallowing at the sight. Tight leather, buckles, sharp teeth, dark hair cascading down to his shoulders.. The man looked angelically demonic. Ciel stared into those red eyes, the unchanging fire still burning in them.

Sebastian’s mind was dizzy with the scent of Ciel, insides being torn apart by the haunting memory of that blue eye which was now staring him up and down. Thoughts flashed through the man, the mere presence of the male across the room enough to make the demon weak at his very core.

Sebastian smirked. Ciel Phantomhive, the only human alive that had the power to make a demon weak with no more than a word. A look. A thought.

The demon closed his eyes. A memory.

Sebastian’s eyes re-opened at the sound of approaching footsteps. Ciel began closing the distance between the two. White hot pain ripped through the demon, getting more and more agonizing with every step the male took closer to him.

“Nn! Stop!”

Ciel froze, eye opening in surprise at the sound of pain from the man as well as the order. The male sighed, continuing after only having paused for a moment.

“Why.”

Sebastian threw his hands into his hair, reveling in the delicious pain he was experiencing, but wanting nothing more than to distance himself from the cause.

Ciel continued walking forward, watching the demon’s red eyes grow more and more light with each step until he was a mere foot away.

Sebastian was trembling, having closed his eyes once again when the boy got closer. But he knew he was right in front of him. He knew that all he had to do was reach out and he could touch him. Feel him.

_Taste him._

“Look at me.”

The words came out in a harsh whisper, the demon not being able to resist the order. Red eyes opened to stare into an azure one, drowning the man in a sea of hell, desire, sin, and euphoria. 

Sebastian fell to his knees.

Ciel stared down into the red eyes filled with pain, the male’s face giving nothing away. He continued in the same harsh whisper.

“When a human makes a contract with a demon…something must be sacrificed in order to display the truths of the contract on their body. Say, Sebastian.. tell me. Do you know what happens to that part of the body if the contract is ever breached?”

Waves of pain tore at the demon’s core. He knew all too well. He knelt, silently staring up at the young earl.

Ciel waited for a few moments to pass, knowing the felled angel wouldn’t answer. He then reached back behind his head, untying the strings of his eye patch. Sebastian watched as the piece of silk fluttered to the ground, looking back up to stare into one bright blue eye… and one that was completely black.

“It dies.”

Sebastian remained silent, staring into both eyes of his forsaken former master. Small pink veins stretched outward from the black abyss that was Ciel’s right eye. It looked painful. Sebastian was sure it was, yet the proud young man standing above him refused to show any sign of it. The demon’s shamed gaze then lowered from marred eye to injured hands, noticing white bandages peeking out from under the sleeves of his suit. Alarmed, he reached up and grasped a small forearm, scrunching the sleeve up the arm to reveal bandages all the way up to the elbow.

Ciel shrugged, trying to remove himself from the grasp “What the he-!”

“How much?”

Sebastian gripped the arm tighter, voice going into a deadly growl.

Ciel stopped pulling, staring into blazing red eyes. “How much...what?”

Sebastian kept a tight hold on the male as he rose up, towering over him.

“How much blood did you use?”

Ciel smirked.

“Wouldn’t you like to know”

A cry of pain then escaped him as the demon forcefully grasped the other wrist, revealing more bandages. 

“How could you have lost so much blood?!” Sebastian was now beyond fuming. “How can you dare be so reckless?! So stupid?! Are you _trying_ to kill yourself?!!!”

“No. Sebastian. That was your job. Remember?”

A small gasp escaped from between the demon’s teeth. He licked the inside of his cheek, pain bursting through him once more.

“Where is it?”

“Where is what-“

“The second blood summons. Stop wasting time!”

“Why do you care?”

A blue eye bore into the demon’s gaze. Sebastian released the boy, taking a step back.

“Is it that you don’t want me to die?”

Ciel’s hand darted out, grabbing the ribbon that had once belonged to him on Sebastian’s left hand.

“..or that you don’t want me to belong to anyone else?”

Sebastian snatched his hand back.

“Where is it?”

“I’m guessing it’s the latter..”

“Tell me-“

“Unless, of course, you _do_ want me dead-“

“Ciel!”

The male reached up, slapping the demon before him hard enough for the sound to echo in the stony basement.

_“Do not say my name!”_

Sebastian’s eyes widened, turning back to see a blue eye rimmed with anger and pain, the other as dark as the demon’s core.

“Do not call my name as if you know me!”

“Ci-“

**”As if you ever cared!”**

Sebastian froze. _Cared?_ What did that even mean? Was that an emotion the demon could even feel? Could he feel emotions at all? Pain seared through Sebastian. Was that the reason he left the boy in the first place? The soul.. his soul. It was beyond anything any demon could ever want. Ravishing would be an understatement, satisfaction from consuming it being an insult. The male was a prize, a three-course meal, an elegant dessert made by the hands of god- no, the devil himself- all wrapped up in one..small..package.. And Sebastian had had it. Right in front of him. So why did he let it go? Was it because..

He _cared..._

A loud crash had both males looking up towards the outer entrance of the basement. 

“Ah. I found it.”

A red haired female suddenly appeared, swooping down the stairs and landing with a loud thud. Bouncy curls stopped at her chin, a navy blue dress hiked up above her knees. Ciel stepped back, a frown burrowing on his angelic face. The woman stared at the male, giving him a smirk before settling her gaze on the tall dark demon between them.

“Looks like I wasn’t the first. Eeh~ I lost the battle” a fake frown came upon her face before turning back into a smile, “but I can still win the war.”

Sebastian glared at the woman, his look powerful enough to kill, as he called back to the boy. “Tell me.”

“Tell you wh-“

“Tell me where it is, Ciel!”

The demon yelled out as the woman lunged forward, Sebastian kicking her hard enough to send her flying across the basement.

“It’s _-nn!_ ”

Ciel yelled out when the woman threw what seemed to be a shard across the room, it slicing Ciel’s cheek.

“Ciel!”

“Haha, what is this? Are you fighting me or what?”

The woman rose from her crumpled spot, not a scratch on her. Sebastian grumbled. This was not going to be easy. A loud crack echoed off the walls as the woman shot into Sebastian, both tumbling across the floor. Sebastian seized the woman’s throat, whipping her under him as he grabbed one of her arms. The woman cried out in pain, clawing at his hand.

“Tell me, Ciel- ack!”

“Sebastian!”

Ciel watched with wide eyes as his once butler was hurdled into the air, a kick sending him flying back against a wall. The woman giggled, walking slowly over to the man. Blood dripped from the corner of Sebastian’s mouth, his eyes settling only on Ciel’s as he squinted in pain. The demon rose, flying after the woman. Redhead beckoned him on, dodging his frontal attack and revealing a long spear she had hidden at her back..

Driving it right through Sebastian.

_”Ackk!”_ The demon fell to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth and wound.

“Do not lose! Sebastian!”

The woman stopped. “What?” Her gaze turned immediately to the blue eyed male. “Why.. you care about this demon? What is this, you are not even contracted.”

Ciel clicked his teeth, anger seething through him as the woman came closer and closer to him.

“Ciel, no! Do not— _nn!_ fight her, do not let her near you!”

The woman smirked back at the man, “Oh? you can still talk?”

“She won’t contract you, she is a bottom feeder. She will immediately eat your soul!”

A blue eye shot open at the demon’s warning. Ciel took a cautionary step back. He glanced at Sebastian, his body trembling from the sight of him losing so much blood. The demon plied the spear from his middle, gurgling out in pain just as the woman reached Ciel.

_“Ungh!”_

Long fingers wrapped around the male’s slender neck, the woman standing an inch above him.

“Ciel! Where is it! Tell me, now!”

Ciel’s eyes squinted in pain as he felt his breath becoming thinner from the tight grip at his throat, calling back to Sebastian.

“nn- There... isn’t one— _erk!”_

Sebastian’s eyes shot open. The boy had lied. If there was no other blood summon then how did this woman would be unstoppable. _No!_

Sebastian stood up weakly, grabbing the spear he was once stabbed with. The woman’s lips came closer to Ciel’s, “Try as you might, demon, but you won’t be able to get near me before I consu- _UNGH!_ ”

The woman’s grip loosened, Ciel falling from it to the ground as he gasped for breath. The spear stuck straight through the back of the woman’s head.

Sebastian huffed as he approached her slowly.

“Coming close to you would be too troublesome. That is why I have aim.”

The woman spat out blood, reaching around to grip the spear when Sebastian suddenly appeared before her, right in front of Ciel. The room grew dark, all candles blowing out as a black, demonic aura oozed from the man. Black claws reached out, grabbing a hold of the woman’s face, her eyes wide with sudden fright.

**“Your stay has been appreciated but I think it is time you go.”**

A loud rip momentarily filled the basement, Sebastian’s hand going clear through the chest of the woman. Blood puddled at her feet, oozing out of her mouth. Sebastian brought his arm back, throwing the body across the room, the woman dead before she even landed. 

The candles re-lit, Sebastian flinging the blood off of his arm. Good. He had managed to keep the ribbon on his other hand free from blood. The demon turned around to see a still gasping Ciel on the floor, scowling up at him. Sebastian leaned down, scooping the lord up into his arms as if he weighed nothing.

“Hey! What are y-“

“You are bleeding.”

“Hm,” Ciel chuckled, “I’ve had worse.”

Sebastian knew that was certainly true. He had as well. The demon’s wound was almost completely healed now, giving him the strength to quickly climb the stairs of the basement with the Earl in his arms.

“You have always been a great liar, Young Earl.”

“Stupid. I only told you there was another symbol because I knew you’d try to leave. But even so.. if you erased the symbol, why was I still pursued?”

Sebastian looked straight ahead, opening the door to the inside of the Phantomhive manor. He stopped in the doorway, glancing around at the historical building. Nothing had changed.

“Your blood is a powerful thing. Once smelled, it is not something that can be forgotten. For a demon, that is.”

Sebastian made his way through the manor, remembering exactly where the earl’s room was. He opened the doors, quickly setting the boy down on his bed.

“So I am still being pursued?”

Sebastian walked around the room, fetching a clean cloth, disappearing momentarily and returning with it wet.

“It is possible.”

The demon crouched over the male, bringing the cloth up to his face. A small hand reached up, stopping the wet rag right before his wound.

“Why are you doing this..”

Red eyes searched one blue, looking for an answer. “I do not-“

“Do not lie to me!”

The cloth was ripped from it’s grip and sent flying across the room.

“I did this for a reason, Sebastian. I got you to return.”

The demon closed his eyes, the pain bubbling up again.

“I know you are in pain. Just as much as I am, if not more. You have returned. Tell me.. was it your hunger?”

Fire rose in the demon’s stomach

“Envy?”

Hot whips coursing through his blood

“Or did you come to hate me so much, you came back to mock me to my face?!”

“Ciel!”

The demon shouted, his voice filled with pain as Ciel sat stunned. Starting again quietly after a moment.

“Then why didn’t you let her kill me-“

A hand jet out, covering his mouth. Red eyes brimming with what seemed like incredulity stared back at him. Sebastian could hear it. He could hear Ciel’s heartbeat. It was rapid. Steady. Healthy. _Alive._ He had memorized every beat that heart had ever made while he was around, playing the soothing sounds over and over again in his head during their distance. The hand at his mouth slipped to cup his chin. He was suddenly at a loss for words.

Sebastian leaned in to inhale the sweet scent of blood before slowly licking the long cut on Ciel’s face. 

“nnn—“

He hummed out in surprise as the devil’s hot tongue worked on his face, lapping up every drop of blood there. Sebastian closed his eyes, reveling in the taste. He craved it. Wanted it. Needed it. The demon’s breathing picked up, his tongue pressing roughly against the cut and causing Ciel to squint in pain. It was so thick. Hot and sticky, sweet and salty. Nothing was as delicious as this boy. 

A low growl escaped Sebastian’s throat. He was lost. All need from within, built up from the long years apart, bubbled over his sanity.

Ciel yelped when Sebastian pushed him back, forcing him down onto the bed. The demon’s tongue continued it’s torture on the male, the wound completely clean from the greedy thing lapping up everything it could. Ciel pushed on the demon’s chest, forcing the man to lift his head and stare into those eyes.

“You knew I schemed to get you here. You knew I was in the basement hiding that entire time. You could have erased the symbol and left. So..why?”

The demon looked at the male, his long body hunched over the small frame as a hand went to the bandages on Ciel’s wrists.

“I had to come ba-“

“No” small hands dart up, grabbing the man’s face forcefully “why did you leave?!”

Sebastian turned away, looking at the wall as he thought back to that night. The raging fire… The broken mirror… The boy. He was so strong. Always so strong. The taste of the soul on the tip of his tongue.. The demon’s gaze returned to the male, the dead serious look sending a shiver through Ciel’s spine with the whispered response.

“...I wasn’t strong enough.”

Ciel clenched his teeth together, “Nonsense! You liar..”

“I couldn’t take your soul.”

“You _wouldn’t_ take my soul-“

“Wouldn’t-“

“Why?”

“I wa-“

_”Why?!”_

“You ar-“

The male gripped the man’s face harder, _“WHY?!“_

Sebastian ripped the hands from his face, pinning the small twigs above the male’s head.

**”Because I refuse to live in a World where you no longer exist!”**

A blue eye and one pitch black stared at two red, shocked. Ciel’s mouth was slightly left open, at a complete loss for words as he watched the man hovering above him. Pain burst throughout the male’s body, a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead. Sebastian eased his grip on the wrists, still keeping them in place as he slumped, defeated, over of the male’s body. The demon’s hair spanned across the duvet, tickling Ciel’s ear as he let his face sink into the bed, his mouth next to the Earl’s face. Ciel listened to the words that were whispered right into his ear.

“Because I’d rather you alive and away from me.. than carry your soul while I, myself, would suffer an eternal death… every second you were gone.”

Ciel blinked, still in shock. A hot tear trailed from the onyx eye, landing on the bed.

“So... my soul-“

“Is perpetual.”

Sebastian lifted his head, their faces only an inch apart as his hair cascaded around the male’s face.

“Your soul, my Lord. It is perpetual.”

Ciel breathed out. He could feel his skin going hot. The male was at a loss for words, looking up into the red gaze of the deadliest creature known to man. And the sweetest devotion he had ever come to know.

“..I called you here for a reason.”

“I am not going to ta-“

“I wish for another contract.”

The demon’s eyes shot open.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

Sebastian stared at the boy, searching the delicate features of his face for any trace of humor. He found none.

“Ciel... I cannot... I am not strong enough to resume a contract, I can not take your so-”

The boy lifted his face, trying desperately to keep his breaths steady..

As his lips met the demon’s. A low sound of shock came from within Sebastian, soft lips pressing to his for what seemed like an eternity before breaking off, only to come up and leave a small peck right after, another to follow. 

Sebastian released the wrists, grabbing the male’s waist and forcing them both further onto the bed.

“Do you have any idea what it is that you are doing?”

Ciel looked into red eyes, cheeks flushed and heart beating like mad. He licked his lips as he looked at the demon.

“Contract me, Sebastian.”

“Why-“

“Because,” a slender hand came up, gripping the inside of a buckle at the top of the demon’s thigh, “My soul may be perpetual… but it belongs to you.”

_“You don’t understand what you are saying!”_

“I told you I’d find you” the hand gripped tighter, pulling the demon further on top of the boy “I told you you were mine, Sebasti -- _mmf!”_

The Ciel’s words were cut short when Sebastian’s lips crushed into his, forcing his tongue into his mouth. So sweet, So delicate. It was everything he had every wanted. Every taste, every lick, every bite. He wanted more. The distance had him dead inside but a simple kiss brought him back to life. No. He had been dead his whole existence, until he met Ciel. Sebastian bit down on the small pink tongue, causing it to bleed.

_”Ack!”_

A blue eye opened up, looking into red ones ablaze. Sebastian lifted his face.

“Ciel Phantomhive, tell me your wish. I will grant it for you. Anything that you want.”

_“Mmm—!“_ The male desperately tried to speak when he felt long fingers beginning to tear at his suit, undoing one button at a time.

“Tell me what you desire, and you will have it through my strength-“

_”Hah—Sebas..”_

“Never fail to tell me. Because from this day forth-“

“Nngh!”

**”I will be your servant. Your savior. Your protector and your power. From this day forth, Ciel Phantomhive… Not only your soul but your heart belongs to me.”**

_”ACK!”_

Ciel cried out, both eyes shutting tight as thick drips of blood oozed out of his right eye. Sebastian watch as the male beneath him shuddered in pain, trying desperately to muffle his own yells.

Pain. No, Ciel thought. It was the best pleasure he could ever ask for.

The body stopped moving, dark locks sticking to the male’s forehead from the sheen of sweat. Sebastian waited, staring at the face.

Ciel opened his eyes slowly, gasping loud at the sight above him.

Sebastian was back to his normal self. His hair was shorter, teeth of a humanly nature and.. his clothing. He wore his butler uniform. Attached at the breast was the pin belonging to the head butler of the Phantomhive manor.

“Sebas-“

The demon leaned down, kissing the male’s right eye softly “Please accept my humblest apologies, young master, for the long journey I was on..” Sebastian lifted his face, the kissed eye opening to reveal the beautiful lavender hue of their contract, the pink veins and all traces of black gone from the orb, “..but I have returned.”

Ciel’s heart beat faster in his chest, his breathing picking up. The pain was gone. He felt filled. Powerful. Alive. The bond between him and his demon flooding back through him like the air his lungs lived without for the past six years. Every inch of him wanted nothing more than this creature—no, _his_ demon—to stay near him..

And never leave him again.

“So, young master” Sebastian leaned closer to the boy’s face, “give me an order.”

Ciel stared up at his butler, hand coming up to forcibly grab the black locks as he held his face in place.

“Sebastian. Never leave me again. That’s an order.”

The demon growled at his hair being pulled, looking down at the flustered mess of his newest master beneath him as he licked his lips. The man reveled in his euphoria as he stared at the only reason he ever existed. This would be enough for both males to be happy for the rest of eternity.. but..

“Yes, my Lord.”

..If only they knew the dangers the horrific dangers their new contract would cause them in the near future.. They just may have wished they’d never met again..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rabid-bunny.tumblr.com
> 
> ** Edited and proof-read by Yelisolis **


	5. Calamity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ciel fought with his entire being, fingertips grasping onto the edges of reality as he fought being consumed by unconsciousness. One moment, he saw what was his butler running after him, crying out his name. And in the next...
> 
> ..everything went black.

“Nn..-aughh!”

Ciel awoke with a start, sitting straight up as he gasped for air. The darkness of his own bedroom seemed to swallow him whole. The feeling of being dragged further and further into a dark abyss still played on his memory as he gripped his hand around something. The Earl’s face twisted in residual pain, entire body trembling in the dead of night.

“Young master..”

Ciel looked over to see his butler lying next to him, his own grasp wrapped tight around the demon’s forearm. An ungloved hand reached up, swiping sweat-soaked strands of hair out of the wide-eyed face. Sebastian propped himself up in front of his lord, suddenly scooping his young master into a soft embrace. Ciel closed his eyes, his pulse finally slowing the moment he felt those strong arms wrap around him. His own personal blanket of safety and security.

“You have nothing to fear, young master. I will ensure your moments of consciousness are far better than those of your nightmares.”

“…so warm”

Sebastian smirked in response to the muffled voice coming from his shoulder.

“As are you, my lord.”

“Sebastian. Don’t leave”

“The young master has ordered that I sleep here with him every night as I have done faithfully since returning a month ago. I have no intentions of going against your wishes.”

“You’d sleep here even if it was not an order-“

“Only if my young master allowed it-“

“Tch,” Sebastian smiled when he felt a small hand tug on his hair, “you think it’s only me who cannot sleep alone?”

“Ah, as much as I would love for my little earl to be correct in his allegations, I must remind him that I, a demon, do not require sleep.”

“You bastard,” Ciel kept a hand entangled in the dark hair, the other coming up to shove a pillow in the demon’s face, “I know that.”

A low humorous sound escaped Sebastian as he removed the pillow from in between himself and his little lord.

“Stop looking at me like that, Sebastian. I’m twenty-two now. I’m not as little as I once was, you know.”

“Of course, my lord. The inch and a half you have grown is indeed impressive-“

“Idiot! I am not a chi-“

Sebastian stopped the young earl mid-sentence, grabbing hold of the small waist in front of him and forcing the boy down onto his back.

“Yes, young master. You have grown. Here,“ The butler squeezed petite hips, eliciting a small gasp from his lord. His hands traveled down to Ciel’s thighs, prodding gently on the soft skin. “Here.”

“- _hah_ ”

The demon trailed his fingertips up to the Earl’s abdomen, gliding silkily along the slight muscles that they found there.

“And here..”

“ _Don’t..touch me li..ke that..you bas-_ ”

Sebastian watched Ciel’s face, fascinated by the cherry blossom color that began to dust his cheeks. He smirked. _‘What a masterpiece.’_

Large hands continued to move across the boy’s skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Sebastian lifted the thin night shirt up to his chest, leaning down to place his mouth right over Ciel’s chest.

“You have grown here as well, my lord.”

“Nn~”

Ciel hummed in response to the soft, velvety kiss that was placed right above his heart. _‘So..warm.’_

Sebastian looked up into the earl’s flustered gaze. Dark dusty gray locks messily topped the younger man’s head, splaying out onto the mattress in every direction. The demon rose up to bury his nose right in the crook of his master’s neck, beneath his ear where it became the dampest from cold sweat. Right where any word whispered resounded throughout Ciel’s entire body in waves of alluring anticipation.

“Would you like me to show you where else it is that you have grown, young master?”

“ _Hah-_ I think you’ve done well enough, demon.”

Sebastian chuckled into the sweet skin, giving it a quick lap with his tongue before returning to his upright position. He couldn’t get enough of the resilient little thing below him.

“Ah, my lord. I do not know what you expect of someone such as myself, asking me to accompany you in your bedroom every single night. I _am_ only _demon_ after all.”

Ciel pulled his shirt back over his slender middle, scowling at the teasing tone his butler spoke in as he sat up to face him.

“Shut up. It is because of my nightmares that I ask this of you-“

“Because the young master cannot stand even a night-rest’s length away from me-“

“No! I cannot sleep without you here-“

“Mm?”

“ _Because,_ Sebastian, it is you who caused these nightmare’s for me in the first place. Do you not think you should take some responsibility for them?”

The demon sighed. Getting the Earl of Phantomhive to admit to anything remotely human would always prove impossible. The demon smiled fondly at his charge. _‘He’s just too stubborn for own good.’_

It wasn’t that Ciel could not admit how he was feeling at any time. The Earl just hated to be vulnerable.

Sebastian looked into the set of sleepy eyes before him. The new contract seal reflected on Ciel’s cheek in the dark, making his own pulse on the back of his hand.

“Hey. Demon, why are you closing your ey-“

“A moment of silence please, my Lord, if you would allow it.”  
Ciel closed his mouth, looking at his butler who was honestly too far for comfort on his large bed. Long dark hair cascaded down over the man’s face flowing back and forth with every breath he took. Ciel stared at the perfect features of his demon, admiring the fanned out eyelashes upon his porcelain cheeks, the strong jaw line, those lips that were on his skin only moments prior…and the faintest color of pink crossing his nose.

_’How could something so evil look so angelic? ..Graceful bastard’_

If Ciel was ever looking for heaven in his own personal hell, he was more than sure he had found it. His heart seemed to skip a beat.

_’Damnit. This blasted devil-‘_

“Young master.”

Ciel was brought back from his wayward thoughts. The Earl had been so entranced in the moment he did not even notice the red eyes boring into his own.

“Sebas..tian. What is it that you had to think so hard about to interrupt our conversation?”

“You, my lord.”

“W-what?”

“My apologies, young master. I was committing the scent of your presence to my memory.”

Ciel’s face brightened, blood rushing to his cheeks as he tried desperately to hide his expression.

“S-Sebastian, you idiot. You know exactly what I smell li- _agh!_ ”

The young earl cried out when the demon leapt forward, pinning him down once more.

“My apologies, my lord, but I do not think that I do. I must make sure I remember it perfectly-“

“You bastard! You are just making excuses!”

“Stay still if you will, my lord, I am trying to breathe in the essence of you .”

“Seba- _mmf-_ ”

Soft lips crushed Ciel’s, sending a shiver to every inch of his body. Sebastian secured the small lord by his waist, ensuring that there be no escape. The demon completely took over his master’s mouth, parting two pink lips to allow his tongue a taste at the sweet muscle inside. Ciel let out a muffled moan when he felt that hot tongue press against his, melting him from the inside out. Although Sebastian held him down, his touch was so gentle. He knew the man’s grip would not budge an inch if he fought against it.. but he did not even have to try. If he wanted him to stop, all he had to do was say so. To say those words.

To speak an order.

 _“nngh-“_ , ‘as if I could!’

Ciel wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s back, pressing the older man’s body down against his own. The demon released a deep satisfying sound, smiling onto the earl’s lips.

‘This boy. This man. This human. He has me. Whole-fully and completely. Painfully and incredibly. The thorns on this beautiful rose have grown out so beautifully. The delicate petals brush my cheeks in the moonlight as I watch him. As I breathe him in. As I claim him as my own. He has no intention of ever threatening his own pride with something as bothersome as human emotion. But if only he knew.’

“ _Nnn-Sebas..tian.._ ”

‘If only he knew…’

“ _I..Se..mmf-hah~_ ”

‘What lengths I would go to hear my name, the name he gave to me, cross his lips.’

“ _Sebas..tian-nn_ ”

‘If only he knew the eternal damnation.. that a soul such as his..’

“ _St..I..Seba—mmm_ ”

‘Has on the cold nonexistent heart of a demon.. such as myself’

“ _M..more..please- more, Sebastian!_ ”

The demon lifted the sheet over both of their bodies, shrouding the two under a haze of white.

‘I wonder if he knows what it is he is asking for. He is yearning for. What it is he has committed to. What his body cries out for, his lips search in the darkness for, his heart beats faster for. What, indeed. For now that he is mine again..’

“Young master..”

“ _Mmmg~_ ”

‘Even if the rain stops.. even if the last petals fall off of this beautiful rose.. as long as he wishes it.. I will ne-‘

“-ver let you go.”

Ciel’s gaze burst open, nails deep into the demon’s back as his eyes brimmed with what seemed to be tears. Sebastian wasn’t sure if they were from the current pleasure-pain the boy was experiencing or the words he had just whispered but either way, the sight caught him completely off-guard, sending a pang in his chest.

Ciel wrapped his legs tight around his demon.

“That’s an order.”

~~~

The sound of a quill furiously scratching paper stopped abruptly when Ciel looked up to see his butler entering his study.

“Young master, it is time for your afternoon tea.”

“Sebastian. For how long do you intend on calling me that?”

“Does the way I address my young master displease him?”

“That’s not what I said.. –sigh- “

Ciel rose from his desk, walking over to the window to gaze out at the garden below. The weather was beautiful, spring really setting in nicely. A few clouds drifted through the blue sky, a nice breeze coming through to rustle the leaves of the trees. A blue eye watched the scene in discontent.

None of it mattered to him. Nothing at all. He found that the foods he tasted as of late had no flavor. The meetings he attended held not a sliver of interest. The sunlight hitting his face through the window.. it felt so cold. Nothing satisfied the Earl. Being the queen’s watchdog was more of a hobby now, seeing as how he had no reason to continue. Every waking second in his life could be compared to pure agony.. it was so empty. So unfulfilling. So..

“My lord..”

Ciel felt a hand softly caress his shoulder. From such a simple featherweight act, his heart seemed to climb up through his throat. The brims of the boy’s eyes became reddened.

‘That’s right. I see.. Everything is meaningless..’

The young master turned around, eye staring intently into the red burning gaze before him.

‘..except for you.’

“Sebastian. I want to leave.”

“Pardon?”

“Take me from here, Sebastian.”

Sebastian’s brow furrowed quizzically, “My lord, your schedule is quite full for the day. Perhaps anot-“

Small hands reached out grabbing the butler’s lapels and pulling his face down to the younger man’s eye level.

“I don’t want any of this. I do not wish to be here anymore. Take me from here. Sebastian.”

Sebastian’s expression changed to one of complete surprise. The demon appraised his master, looking into the fury of the blue eye that seemed to make him weak at his very core. He lifted a gloved hand to caress the male’s face, circling his thumb on a rosy cheek while he tried hard not to give in to sudden urges.

“Yes. My lord.”

Ciel closed his eyes and audibly exhaled, as if he was relieved. It caught Sebastian off-guard, for all the boy had to do was order it and he would have anything he wanted.

But Ciel wasn’t like that. Not with his feelings. He wanted to be sure he was not the only one being vulnerable. The only one in this damned and twisted contract.

The only one that wanted nothing more than the other.

Sebastian found that Ciel gave him a lot more of a choice in things nowadays, the demon having a lot more freedom than before. It was almost as if his master called him back just for company.. just to fill the dark void in his heart.. but the way those eyes looked at the demon every night said otherwise.

The Earl was his forever. And in return, the demon was his.

“Where is it that you wish to go, young master?”

“Far.”

“What of your estate and your fia-“

“What of them, Sebastian?!” Ciel trudged over to his desk, picking up a pile of papers and throwing them into the air.

“They are meaningless! I do not give a damn about any of it anymore, do you not understand?!”

Sebastian watched as the papers fluttered to the floor, the Earl of Phantomhive a mess of a man in front of them as he panted with rage.

“I do not..care for it-“

“My lord, your asthma, ple-“

“Sebastian. Just take me.. it is all meaningless.. It is..”

The demon closed the distance between the two within a second, scooping Ciel into a strong embrace and placing his lips right on the Earl’s.

Ciel let out a huff of air, immediately turning to liquid from the sweet taste of his demon. Sebastian held him up, gliding soft lips along the boy’s and trailing them to his ear.

“I will take you to the ends of this world and beyond if you so wish it.”

Ciel closed his eyes, lost in the feel of the man’s breath on his neck.

“As long as it is with you, I will follow you to the deepest depths of hell. Sebastian.”

~~~~~~

“Sebastian, it is late. I wish to retire to bed.”

…

“Hey. Sebastian!”

…

“Tch, good for nothing demon..” The Earl stood from his desk, leaving his study to search for his butler.

“Sebastian where are you?”

The male walked to the front of the mansion, each step he took making his stomach roil more and more. ‘Why isn’t he answering? Why hasn’t he come when called? Has he left again?’ The contract in the boy’s eye pulsed. A sudden dark foreboding feeling had Ciel picking up pace, until he was practically running down the halls.

The young lord turned the corner, the front foyer coming into view when he finally spotted the back of his butler at the front door. The male was relieved to have his butler in sight.. but something didn’t feel right. He winced at the pressure from the contract burning bright in his eye..

“Hey! Sebastian, I-“

“Young master!”

_”ACK!”_

A flash of white light suddenly filled the room, burning Ciel’s vision and causing him to fall to the floor.

“Sebas…tian!!”

“Young master!”

Ciel cried out as he slammed down onto his back. His eye watered, blurring his sight from the bright burst of light coming from the door as his ears rang loud. _’An..explosion?’_ Confusion and terror washed over him within a second. He heard so many different noises but the loudest was his own heart beat going a million miles a second. He turned his head towards the front door, vision fading in and out as grasped onto his own consciousness. He could see the faint form of his butler at the front door, and maybe..someone there behind it? Or some _thing? Damnit!_ Ciel’s senses were being completely shot. He heard Sebastian call out for him, frantically trying to get his attention. Ciel lifted a weak arm, clawing at the carpet as he tried to move. His breathing was shallow and coming in quick labored breaths. _‘what the hell is happening to me?’_ His other hand tore off the eyepatch as he tried desperately to get a look at what was going on, the Earl’s entire body feeling as if it were encased in concrete. Small fingers ripped frantically at the rug as the young master began to panic. He needed to get up. He needed to run. Run to his butler. The contract pulsed again.

“Sebas-tian! _Sebastian!!_ ”

Ciel propped himself up on his elbows to fall back down onto his back, the air around him feeling like a thousand bricks weighing him down. Tears streamed down his face as trembling hands reached through the air towards his butler, his breaths coming out more and more sporadic. 

“Young master!!”

Ciel fought with his entire being, fingertips grasping onto the edges of reality as he fought being consumed by unconsciousness. One moment, he saw what was his butler running after him, crying out his name. And in the next...everything went black.

“ _Young master!!!_ ”

And the demon was gone.

~~~

Hot hands caressed the slim waist, giving it a firm squeeze.

_”Sebas..hah..you feel..”_

“Tell me, young master. Tell me how it feels.”

“ _S-so..good..”_

“Mm, you feel even better my lord..”

_“Nngh! Don’t..stop..”_

“As long as you wish it, I will not. I will embrace you and shroud you in pleasure and darkness for the rest..”

_‘Of..’_

_‘Eternity.’_

Ciel awoke with a start. His pulse was going crazy and his body was on fire. The man rose up slowly, wincing at the pain in his back from having been knocked out on the floor for so long. He shoved a hands in his hair, trying to piece together what had happened.

Everything came back to him in a hot white flash. But there was only one important detail that he cared about.

The demon was gone.

_**“AAAAAUH! NOOO!”** _

The Earl screamed at the top of his lungs, punching the wall behind him until his fist became bloody and swollen.

“Damnit!!”

Ciel grabbed his eye patch off of the floor, furiously replacing on his face before bolting down the stairs and out into the cold night.

~~~

The sound of a small bell rang, notifying the store owner of the customer that just entered his shop. With a knowing smirk, the man turned to welcome his visitor.

“Ooh?~ Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise? Never would I have thought that after all this time I’d be so fortunate as to receive a visit from the Earl himself~”

Ciel stepped further into the dark shop, hair a complete mess and hand covered in blood. The young man had a grim… almost _uhhinged_ aura about him as he stared down the shop owner, coming closer and closer with every second passing, stopping just a foot away from the older man’s face.

“But I guess it isn’t so unexpected- Eh? You haven’t really grown much at all, have you?”

“Undertaker.”

“Ciel Phantomive.”

Ciel leaned in close to the reaper before him.

“Where..”

“Hmm?”

A bloody hand slammed down on the desk beside the two, “Where did they take him, Undertaker? _Where did they take Sebastian?!_ ”

The gray haired man looked at the raging boy in front of him, his expression suddenly becoming one filled with humor. “Heh heh heh, _take_? How do you know he did not just _go_?”

Ciel reached out, grabbing the black fabric of the man’s jacket as he brought his face down to his own.

“Because I ordered him to stay, Undertaker.” The boy tore his eyepatch off with his other hand, the contract seal reflecting onto the taller man’s face.

“Ah,” Undertaker removed Ciel’s grip on his clothing, stepping back behind his desk to put some distance between himself and the angry little Earl. “You must mean to say _they_ came for him, huh?”

“What?” Ciel’s voice was filled with desperate curiosity. He leaned in closer over the desk, “Who are ‘they’?”

“Heh heh! Well you see, little Earl, the human world is something that is taken advantage of, very much so. For a being such as yourself, humans can choose one path, vow to it with their lives, but then give up on it the next day with no consequence what-so-ever. Humans have this ability. It is called free will, little Lord. For other existing beings of other worlds far more complex than yours, such as ones filled with darkness and shrouded in the evils of chaotic madness…”

A single black nail came up to trail the young Earl’s face, “…there is always a price to be paid.”

“Are you saying.. demons have _rules_?”

“Heh heh heh-“ The Undertaker broke out into a fit of laughter, calming down before staring back at the mess of a man before his desk.

“No one has rules.. It isn’t about rules, dear boy. It is about strength. All worlds are. You bow down to the ones that are strongest, is that not so~? There are, indeed, no real rules. It is all a matter of doing the bidding of those whom rule. For you, it is that monstrosity of a queen. And for others…” 

Ciel grit his teeth, “I do not have time for your riddles, Undertaker-”

“Ahh~ But you see? It is as plain as I said, little Earl. Find the strongest one.. and you find your demon.”

Ciel straightened back up, beginning to pace back and forth. The long haired man watched the boy from his desk, admiring his tenacity when he was in such a helpless situa-

“Where do I find him?”

“Find?”

“Tell me.”

“Oh~ what is this? The Earl of Phantomhive expects to rampage the gates of-“

“I can and I will.”

“Only demons can go there, my boy.”

Ciel rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, swiping the dark locks out of his face with one hand.

“We will see about that.”

Green eyes brightened at the young man’s response. _‘Just like his father.’_ The Undertaker stood from his desk, walking around to the small male and looking dead into his eyes.

“Do not go to sleep. You will find your way there through your connection. When you feel the contract pulse.. follow it.”

Ciel’s eyes opened wide when the man placed a small package in his hands. It was heavy and wrapped in old, gaudy linen, the length a little longer than the palm of his hand.

“Take this.”

Ciel unwrapped the item, holding out in front of him what seemed to be a gun. But it was no ordinary gun. It was forged with steel and brass from the looks of it. Ciel had never seen a firearm like it before. A wide grin split the Undertaker’s face.

“It does not need bullets, dear boy. Despite what it looks like, it is a reaper’s weapon.”

The male looked up confused into green eyes.

“It is the only thing that can kill a demon..” he smirked, “..other than a demon himself, of course.”

Ciel exhaled, feeling the weight of the weapon in his hand as he thought quickly of his resolve.

Then he turned on his heel to leave.

“W-wait, Earl! Do you truly intend on doing this?”

“Yes.”

“You really are..

..just like your father.”

Ciel stopped for a moment, smirking at the comment before continuing his pace as he tucked the weapon into the hem of his trousers.

Undertaker called after Ciel one last time as he opened the front door.

“Little Earl! Do tell me! What is it exactly that you plan to do, hm!?”

Ciel turned around, hand propping the shop door open. A gust of wind came through, blowing the mess of hair into his face as the lavender glow of his contract eye glowed in the night.

“I am going to get my demon back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rabid-bunny.tumblr.com
> 
> **Edited and proof-read by Yelisolis **


	6. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He grit his teeth, stifling the urge to scream out.
> 
> “You are by far the most wicked and wretched sin I know"

Dusk had long fallen over the Phantomhive manor. The only light coming from the building was the soft glow of the candelabra in the master’s hand. Ciel walked the halls barefoot, garbed in tan straight-legged pants and a white button-up that was messily undone. The soft tap of his footsteps ceased when he turned the corner, coming into the foyer. The Earl made his way down the stairs, walking to the door and lighting candles that flanked the wooden entryway. Ciel walked over to the side of the foyer, setting the candelabra down on a small side table that held a mirror over it as well as an antique clock, its hands showing it was 2:37 in the morning. He hesitantly looked up into the reflection staring back at him.

He was a mess. That bright blue eye was now dull and dark, surrounded by a ring of shadows from lack of sleep. The usual color to that thin face was all washed out, revealing that he hadn’t eaten much either. He brought his hand up to clutch the tangled locks of hair atop his head.

“Three days…”

The young man trembled, gritting his teeth as he sneered in the mirror.

“Three..bloody..days. And I am no closer to finding you than I was when I started..”

A fist came down hard on the table, threatening to knock the items atop over.

“WHERE ARE YOU?! _SEBASTIAN!_ ”

The contract eye pulsed, causing Ciel to squint. He ripped the eye-patch off. Ever since the demon had left, he felt the sting of the Faustian seal more than he had before. It was almost as if it were Sebastian…calling out from the other side.. What was it the Undertaker had said again? Something like..

_‘Do not go to sleep. You will find your way there through your connection. When you feel the contract pulse.. follow it.’_

That was it... _’But what the hell does that mean?!’_

He leaned in closer to the mirror, looking into the hazy lavender eye.

“Sebastian…”

The contract pulsed again, this time harder than before. Ciel watched the glow grow brighter and then dim. He began to focus his thoughts solely on his butler, discarding every other thought from his mind. The glow came back, staying this time as he concentrated. A blue eye grew wide when he looked into the mirror a little closer..to see… _‘words?’_

Ciel’s jaw dropped. He had never noticed the intricate lettering in his contract eye before. Or maybe..it was that the letters never appeared before now.

He held open the glowing eye with two fingers while his other squinted, trying to make out the words he saw there.

“A..ab-dia.” A string of the pentagram in Ciel’s eye brightened, turning white when the word was spoken, soon fading back to purple. Ciel gasped. He blinked a couple times, readying himself and preparing his mind. _‘This is it!’_

After a few more failed attempts, Ciel finally made out all six of the words, saying them into the mirror as if engraving them into his own mind.

“Abdia, Ballaton, Bellony, Halliy, Halliza, Soluzen!”

The symbol in his eye lit up white, sending his mind into a furious haze as the air around him became thick and began to pulse. A creak had the Earl whipping around to face the front door, both eyes widening.

The usual dark wood began to crack and decay, the entryway turning completely black as thick fault lines continued to travel from the top of the door all the way to the floor. An orange-yellow hue began emitting from within the cracks, making the entire thing look like a charred and smoldering piece of wood.

Ciel’s eyes were wide with shock, never having seen anything like it before. He walked over to the burnt portal, gritting his teeth before slamming a hand down onto the handle.

_”Ack!”_

He retracted his hand, holding it up to his mouth and suckling on burnt fingers. The air shook and then the darkened wood was gone, leaving the pristine ornate door back in its original form.

“Damn!”

Ciel spoke the six words, trying once more to open the door only to get another burn on the opposite palm. He backed up as the smoldering wood faded away when something the Undertaker had said before rang loud in his ears. The Earl turned, quickly retrieving the candelabra and racing up the stairs and around the corner. He returned after only a few minutes in completely different attire, huffing softly from his weak lungs. The young lord made his way slowly down the stairs, garbed now in an outfit fit only for the darkest of souls. Leather boots that reached his knees thudded on the carpeted stairs, echoing on the ornate floor when he reached the bottom. Black slim-fitting pants hugged at the thin waist, a dark gray long-sleeve button-up shirt with a low ruffled neck neatly tucked in, a thin onyx ribbon tied at his neck. He reached up, both hands hidden underneath black silk gloves, tying his eye-patch back in place.

The Earl marched right up to the door. He closed that azure eye, filling his mind with nothing but his only reason for breathing. Ciel raised his chin, speaking with newly found determination.

**“Abdia, Ballaton, Bellony, Halliy, Halliza, Soluzen.”**

The room shifted, the burning door returning in front of its summoner. Ciel re-opened his eye as he reached into his boot, pulling out a small knife. He peeled off a thin glove, dragging the blade across the soft skin on his palm. Blood bubbled up as Ciel reached the stained hand out and placed it carefully on the door.

The spot around the small hand turned from black to a deep crimson. A look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes as he reached for the handle, but only to receive the same reaction. The young Earl went to pull the door open when the red immediately faded, leaving the cut hand to be burned again on the blackened handle. Ciel winced when he pulled it back, smirking. The words from the Undertaker rang through his ears once again.

_‘…there is always a price to be paid.’_

Of course. _‘Just as I thought..’_ The boy flipped the knife in his hand, his smirk only growing bigger, _‘Of course, that would be too easy, now wouldn’t it?’_

 

The door began to disappear as he replaced his glove over the wounded hand. He let out a low chuckle, gripping hard on the knife handle with both hands, turning the blade towards himself..

..and shoving it into his stomach.

**“Hngh!”**

Ciel doubled over, coughing up a splatter of blood. He dropped the knife on the floor, putting both hands over the wound until they were stained with blood. He slowly and shakily moved them from his wound toward the cursed door.. Hoping against hope, he reached out and touched it just before the smolder disappeared. Cracks ran back up through the door immediately, the spot where Ciel was resting against it turning dark crimson once more. The boy leaned against the wood, breathing weakly from pain as his whole front became flesh with the entryway.

It wasn’t long before the black wood was painted in the same deathly wounded hue as the life that was spilling out of the Earl’s midsection. Now somewhat confident the door would stay in place, a weak hand reached for the handle once more. He grit his teeth, swallowed, winced, and pulled.

With a small click, the blood-colored door creaked open. Ciel tugged slowly until the door was completely ajar, all the while blood pouring from his wound. The Earl looked up to the entryway to see what looked like a thin translucent veil, almost as if the air itself was bending. There was no doubt in his mind that he had found it.

The entrance to the demon realm.

The young master coughed up more blood, taking a step towards the portal. He reached back, touching the hidden gun holster at his hip before stepping head first through the doorway.

Ciel inhaled in shock. He stood one foot away from where he’d entered, looking around.

Everything was exactly the same. Well..close to it. He walked forward, stepping down the stairs of what was supposedly still the front of his manor. Everything, every tree, every rock… it was here. The roses still bloomed in the garden ahead, the marble still shined and dulled in just the right places… it was all here. One could almost question if this was a different realm at all. Well.. almost.

If only it wasn’t for the blood red full moon.

The sky was a spotless black abyss, not a star in sight, the only thing there being a maroon moon seemingly 3 times bigger than the usual one and casting an eerie shadow of red over the land. Ciel clutched his middle, jolting his head down in sudden remembrance. He froze. The wound had vanished, all blood and even the tear in his shirt completely gone.

The earl smirked, standing up straight as he thought of his only reason for existing. Right at that moment, the contract in his eye pulsed, causing him to immediately start walking in a direction away from what was his manor.

Every step he took, every turn he made, they were all determined. He walked as if he had no doubt in his mind as to where he was going, as if he had not one second to spare. It wasn’t long before he began to pick up pace, jetting out into a full sprint. The cold air felt good on his face but what felt even better was the fact that he couldn’t feel any pain. His lungs were fine, his legs felt light. He chuckled. Of course asthma doesn’t exist in the demon realm. The cured master picked up the pace when he felt that contract pulse once more.

He had no time to think, no time to laugh, no time to breathe. He had things to do, places to be..

And one damned demon to claim.

~~~

Red tinted moonlight shone through the tall windows, illuminating the marble floor with a soft glow. The room was extremely grand, its large expanse causing even the smallest sound to echo. The molding on the walls of the room was ornate and very pristine, giving off a gaudy feeling, making the spacious area fit for only a queen.

Well of course. It _is_ the queen’s castle after all. At least it is in the human world.

At the head of the room, there sat a chair which seemed to act as a throne of some sort. Gold intricate trimmings wrapped around the armrests of the wooden seat, plush red cushions offering enough comfort to fit any king. The demon within it sighed. 

_‘King, eh?’_

He groaned in annoyance. Time did not exist in the realms outside of the human one. It could be calculated down to one minute in the human realm equalling a little under forty minutes here, allowing the demons more time to find, devour and contract as many souls as possible without losing many. The souls of the living were being monopolized in this way.

So it was true time went slower, but to the demon… It hadn’t stopped moving at all. The past three days stood as stagnant as empty and meaningless lifetimes of endless torture. The wretched refrain of his failure playing on a loop. 

Sebastian stood from the throne, his tall form casting a shadow in the eerie moonlight. An onyx tipped hand reached up, swiping shoulder length hair out of his face. The butler was a butler no more, having returned to his demon state. Nails razor-edged, hair long, teeth sharp…

Body empty and wicked.

The fierce creature stood tall, garbed in those tight black leather pants and high boots. But this time, there were no buckles. He could no longer keep track of the time away from the boy. He had to forget him. Forget him… _’Tch’_ Honestly, the very idea was laughable, but some pretenses were necessary. This was a fact he knew well.

The shirtless Sebastian glanced around the room once more before sitting back down in his god forsaken throne. He closed his eyes, recollecting the series of events that had taken place days prior.

A knock at the front door of the Phantomhive manor. A mysterious person outside. The sudden snarl of a familiar voice.

_’Well well, it’s been a while.’_

_‘…How did you find this place?’_

_‘Did you really think you could hide? Why have you not returned?’_

_‘Leave.’_

_‘Oh, I do plan on it. But you are coming with me.’_

_‘I am afraid I must decline such a nice offer’_

_‘Who said I was offering?’_

Sebastian’s brow furrowed, remembering the scene. Ciel coming around the corner, the surprised look on the stranger’s face from seeing the supposed-to-be dead Earl alive, the screech from the young master when he was brought to his knees…

Sebastian remembered yelling, trying to warn Ciel as soon as he came into sight, trying to tell him to run…but being too late. As soon as the being saw the boy, the air thudded with what felt like an explosion from them emitting their power into his defenseless lord across the room.

_‘So he is alive?’_

_‘Stop it! Let him go, do not hurt him!’_

_‘I am only blinding and binding his senses’_

Sebastian remembered Ciel letting out a yelp from the pain, himself screaming after his master as he turned to run to his side.

_‘Se-Sebastian!’_

_‘Young Maste-!’_

_‘One more step and I will crush this ‘precious’ soul you guard so zealously. Do you truly wish to test me?_

The demon opened his eyes, claws sinking into the flesh of his palms.

He blamed himself. He should have done a better job at hiding him, a better job at hiding them both. He knew the repercussions of breaking a contract. For breaking a contract and letting the prey live.

And then re-contracting them.

He sighed. He had been beyond selfish. What was he thinking, re-contracting with that boy? He should have kept his distance, kept Ciel out of all of this. The demon touched his lips softly, remembering soft pink quivering ones atop his..

He couldn’t help it. He had no choice. There was no possible way he could be away from him. He lived many lifetimes, many centuries but only a mere twelve years ago had he found his sole purpose for existing.

To breathe in the essence that is Ciel Phantomhive. To protect him; mind, body, heart, soul.. To spoil him, be the reason he frowns and the reason he smirks. To ravage that fragile body and have it squirm beneath him as he treaded lightly atop the balance between the demon realm and the one belonging to humans. He existed to feel that heartbeat beneath his hand, beat for him and only him. He could almost hear Ciel whispering his name in his ear. No, moaning it. Screaming it. He was the only one allowed to give him pain, which of course was always followed by shatteringly magnificent pleasure.

Sebastian had to claim him. Monopolize him. Make him his, and his alone. Reciprocity was only fair, considering how entirely the boy owned him. 

“Tch..”

The demon existed for one reason and one reason only.

Ciel Phantomhive.

Sebastian’s eyes rolled to the door at the far end of the room. A slight glow emitted from the entryway, reminding him that he was trapped. He could not escape. He tried and that didn’t seem to go very well, the sting from the seal placed on the door still burning fresh in his memory.

He turned to peek at the side door in the room, also sealed to prevent his escape.

Red eyes opened wide as the demon’s ears perked up. For a second…for a split second, he thought he could hear it, that very particular fall of his master’s feet as he ran. The demon rose from the throne, moving at incredible inhuman speed to close the distance between him and the door. His breaths came faster, his pulse quickening. He could hear it… He could hear... Him!?

“Young..master..”

Sebastian shouted at the door, careful to not touch it again. He paused, listening intently. The noise was still there, coming closer and closer.

“Young master!”

He sniffed the air, smelling the sweet distant smell of the boy’s skin, the light feathered scent of those dark locks fluttering in the wind. Sebastian began shouting at the top of his lungs, screaming out for the little lord over and over again when he reached out to touch the door.

_“Ngh!”_

He recoiled his hand, only to get even more angry, banging on it with both fists.

“YOUNG MASTER!!”

The demon crumbled to the ground from the pain, gasping for breath on his knees. He closed his eyes, keeping his forehead on the ground. Why… why right now? Why did he have to be so tortured? Was his mind such a dark place that it spat up these fantasies? Could he really have lost it?

He clenched his fists, punching the door as he shouted at the top of his lungs, slamming back down on the ground with a scream of pain.

_‘Why? Why can I hear you? Why can I smell the sweat on your skin? Why can I not be left to forget the presence that is the sweetest desire I have ever known?’_

He clenched his teeth, arching back an arm and thrusting his fist into the marble. Dust rose from the crack in the ground, the demon slamming his fist into the same spot over and over and over again. His breaths came out heavy and pressured, voiced strangled and deep, eyes wide as he seemed to choke for air but not from the seal on the door’s pain.. From the aching agony that was every waking moment apart from Ciel.

With one last punch, Sebastian cupped a hand over his mouth, attempting to calm himself and stop the agonizing wails coming from it. He only accomplished one. Face paler than usual, mouth finally closed, Sebastian stood slowly. Pebbles of shattered rock crunched underneath his boots. With his head cast down, dark long locks almost completely covering his face, he walked slowly back to the chair.

_‘Why do you taunt me so, sweet venom of mine?’_

He winced with every step he took, his boots echoing throughout the room.

_‘Why can I still feel the heat of your presence?’_

He stopped halfway to the throne turning back to face the door. Sebastian fell to his knees, palms outstretched on the ground.

“Why must I live?”

A loud crash erupted on the far end of the room, the two doors suddenly bursting open with a deafening crack. Dust rose from the ground where the demon had pummeled the finely laid marble. Sebastian’s head snapped up, waiting for his usual captor to come into sight. Footsteps emerged from the darkness beyond the open doors, slowly coming into the red illuminance of the moon.

Boots broke through the edge of the cloud of dust, a blue eye looking ragingly into two shocked red.

“Y-youn..mas..”

**“Give me back my demon!”**

Sebastian remained on his knees, shocked out of comprehension of what was happening. The dust finally settled, allowing Ciel to see the entirety of the room occupied by one other being. 

“Se-sebastian?” 

Sweat dripped down the side of his face as his furrowed brow remained in place.

“Young ma-!”

“SEBASTIAN!” A sudden wave of realization flooded the earl as he called out the very name he had given his demon, his chaotic mind immediately being clouded over by something more important than the empty room. Something more important than this damned realm. Something a bit more wicked that was Ciel Phantomhive’s first -and only- priority. Complete possession over what was rightfully his.

**”YOU. ARE. MINE!”**

 

Ciel’s voiced boomed throughout the room as he began to stalk over to the crouching demon who appraised every inch of him. The dark outfit, the fitted and untucked gray shirt, sleeves rolled up above his elbows, top few buttons undone, ribbon loose and fluttering free…

The earl stopped in front of his butler, hair a mess as he looked down at the demon.

Sebastian froze, the two saying not a word. Just staring into each other’s eyes. Reading each other’s minds. Boring into each other’s souls.

“How-“

Ciel tapped his eyepatch, answering the question before it was asked without breaking eye contact with the red rubies beneath his gaze. Sebastian stood slowly, coming up to tower over the Earl as he kept his eyes steady. Ciel reached a hand up, swiping a few strands of hair out of the demon’s face. He looked the butler over once, noticing the more wicked appearance, his true form, and the lack of shirt…

“You’re a demon.”

“Oh my,” Sebastian smirked, “quite an astute observation, sir. As to be expected from the Earl of Phantomhive.”

“You dare presume to tease me demon? It was YOU, who neglected your duties and left your post at my side.” Ciel said, pout evident in his voice. 

“As spoiled as ever, I see. I was only on leave for a short amount of time.”

“I do not recall approving such a leave-“

The smirk slowly disappeared from the demon’s face, “Nor did I wish to take it, my... lord.”

Both heads whipped to the side door of the room when it creaked open. Someone stepped in, the shadows of the room still masking their appearance. Slow claps were heard, a voice finally accompanying it.

“What a touching reunion. I do believe I may have teared up a bit.”

A small girl, around 5’5, emerged from the shadows. Dark brown pigtails rested on her shoulders, her black dress reaching the tops of her knees. Glossy black shoes clicked on the floor as she walked slowly within the vicinity of the scene.

Sebastian grabbed Ciel, tossing him around to be behind himself as he faced the approaching girl.

“Oh? Still very protective of this boy, I see” the female stopped ten feet away from the duo, “but with the door open and him right behind you, why not try to escape?”

Sebastian grit his teeth, snarling at the small demon girl.

“Ah. That’s right” she crossed her arms in front of her, “because I am centuries older than you and that much stronger.”

Ciel grabbed Sebastian’s arm, peeking out from behind the demon’s back as Sebastian held him firmly there, “Who the hell are you and what do you want with my demon?!”

“Oh? That’s right! I do suppose you wouldn’t know who I am, seeing as how you are a human. Who I am does not matter to the likes of you. You are merely a piece of scum, nothing, a small weak leaf drifting in the wind-“

“What did yo-?!”

“But, I suppose I can give myself a name. That’d make it easier for you, right human? Hmm..how about Selma,” the girl bowed slightly, “nice to meet you.”

Ciel reached behind him, freeing the weapon from his waistband and pointing it straight at the girl, “I don't care for the names of those I am going to kill.”

“Tch” Selma smirked, lunging forward and knocking Sebastian out of his protective position in front of Ciel with a single fist. The butler groaned, thudding onto the cold floor twenty feet away. Ciel’s eyes widened at such power as he watched the demon struggle to stand back up before the gun was kicked right out of his hand. It slid across the floor, hitting the bottom stair in front of the throne.

 

Selma walked right up to the defenseless boy now a mere couple inches from him. She looked up through her eyelashes, speaking with a steady tone.

“I must say, you do surprise me. In all of my lifetimes, I have never seen a human breach the demon realm” she licked her lips “maybe you are worth savoring.”

Ciel curled his lip in disgust, “You’re disgusting.”

Selma’s eyes flashed with a tinge of annoyance, her arm shooting out to grab the Earl’s throat.

“Ack—“ Ciel winced at the grasp, grabbing onto her arm as he felt the familiar pain from the day he had passed out in his manor.

“Young Master!!” Sebastian took a step forward, ready to lunge at the other demon before Ciel met his gaze, stopping him in his tracks. Time seemed to stand still, Sebastian freezing from the familiar look in his young master’s eye. The demon swallowed, staying in place.

“You have no idea what you are dealing with, human. Have you any idea how easily I ca- _eh? Arghh!_ ”

The girl watched as her palm seemed to burn while still gripping the man’s throat. She winced through the pain, “What trick is this?!”

Ciel looked into her eyes, smirking through the struggle as a shaky hand reached up to remove his eyepatch. Selma gasped, finally releasing him, unable to take the pain any longer.

She held her hand to her chest as it healed, ripping her gaze away from the contract seal in Ciel’s eye and snarling back to Sebastian as Ciel gasped for air.

“Not only is he alive but you RECONTRACTED HIM?!”

Sebastian stood unmoving as the lavender light emitting from Ciel’s eye answered the question. Brown hair whipped around as she returned her gaze to the human in front of her. Ciel rubbed his throat as he spoke.

“Haven’t you wondered how I got all the way here without being harmed by your kind? I learned a thing or two about your realm within the short time I’ve been here. The contract of a demon is absolute. As long as I am contracted to Sebastian,” Ciel towered over the snarling little creature, “you cannot touch me with those filthy hands.”

“Tsk! This has nothing to do with you, human! Have you any idea why that demon must stay here?!”

“No, I do not, nor do I care. Sebastian is my butler,” Ciel’s eye seemed to blaze with fury, “emphasis on _my_.”

“Oh? And has ‘your butler’ told you the repercussions for allowing the prey of a broken contract live? He is not above our laws and neither are you, you filthy mongrel.”

“Your laws are obviously flawed” Ciel pointed to his contract eye referencing the burn the girl had felt moments prior.

“Sebastian has a duty here. He is of hierarchy and that is absolute-“

Ciel cut the girl off, giggling darkly before looking back down at her.

“Are you implying that he is some kind of king?”

Selma lowered her lids, looking disgustedly at the man, “You humans are of such high egos and superficial matters that you think you are above us all. Pathetic. You are all powerless and deserve to either be consumed or rot in the deepest bowels of your own personal hell.”

“If it is hell you wish to condemn me to, I’ve seen him.” Ciel reached up, tugging off the ribbon at his neck before stuffing it into his pocket along with his eyepatch as he licked his lips, “I have looked him straight in the eye. And I named him Sebastian.”

Selma looked at the contract in Ciel’s eye as it became brighter, reflecting the truth in every word he had just spoken. She paused before breaking out into a fit of laughter. “You think yourself quite savvy, don’t you? Above pain? Impenetrable?”

Sebastian’s eyes opened wide when the demon girl suddenly appeared behind him, kicking him so hard he fell to his knees.

“Sebastian!”

Selma grabbed the demon butler’s contract hand, holding it up above his head, “But everyone has a weakness, boy. And he is yours...”

A sharp claw pierced the flesh of Sebastian’s contract hand, causing him to groan out in immeasurable pain.

“AAARGH!”

“Seba-AACK!!”

Ciel fell to the ground, cupping a hand over his contract eye in an attempt to stop the burning. His entire body writhed in pain as he screamed his butler’s name, feeling as if he were being burned from the inside out.

Selma smirked, removing her claw before leaning down to speak directly into Sebastian’s ear.

“I could burn him and his soul from the inside out using you. His soul will convulse in pain for the rest of eternity if I so choose to destroy your contract,” Sebastian winced, “or you will kill him. Right here, right now. Make it quick and painless or he will suffer for as long as time continues and I will be sure you hear each of his screams. What is it going to be?”

Sebastian watched Ciel audibly gasp on the floor where he had fallen. The demon rose slowly. His legs felt heavy, his chest tight, his hands numb. He couldn’t.. It wasn’t possible. Not for him. Ciel lifted his head, staring at Sebastian with that same look as before. He clenched his fists together. What a cruel world this had turned out to be…even for a demon.

_‘But what other choice do I have?’_

“I will do it.”

Sebastian walked over to the crumbled up Earl, swallowing before reaching down to pick him up by his throat. Ciel began to struggle to breathe, his words coming out broken and desperate.

“Seba..ack…what are..you.. _hng_ ”

“Please do not struggle, my lord,” Sebastian turned the boy around, keeping his hand on his throat as he pressed his young master’s back up against his front, “this will all be over soon.”

Selma began to clap, skipping over to stand in front of the struggling Ciel.

“Seba..stian…s-stop…I order…yo- _ack!_ ”

“He will not listen to you dear. Why? Because he cares about you,” she reached a hand out, cupping Ciel’s cheek, “…disgusting. I must admit. I have never met a human quite like you. Perhaps I would have even contracted with you. You made it far but eventually everyone must answer to the demon hierarchy..”

Ciel struggled to breathe, the demon at his back holding him in a stone-hard grip as the girl mockingly leaned into his face as he had done to her earlier, “Ciel Phantomhive, this is the end. Have you any last words?”

Ciel grit his teeth, inhaling the deepest breath his struggling lungs could possibly get as he stared at the girl…

And smirked.

**“Woof.”**

Sebastian suddenly thrust Ciel off to the side, using his hand to puncture right through the middle of the demon girl.

“Hck!” Selma spit up blood, looking at Sebastian incredulously before laughing, “you weak bastard, you really think that you are strong enough to kill me?”

“He can’t” Ciel’s voice came from behind the bleeding demon, her eyes going wide when the sudden cold barrel of a gun was placed between her pigtails at the back of her head, “but I can.”

The girl laughed again, licking the blood on her lips, “Boy, you really believe a gun can kill a demon?!”

“Who said this was just a gun?”

Selma’s brow furrowed deeper. She had thought about the chance of the gun not being normal but she disarmed the boy, so how? The girl’s face dropped, the realization of everything dawning on her. The engraving on the side of the weapon...the gun sliding across the room…throwing Sebastian…the traitor of a demon holding Ciel’s back to him.. She shrieked out in anger, ready to pounce on Sebastian when Ciel pulled the trigger.

Blood sprayed up onto the two above her and splattered onto the floor. Sebastian retracted his arm from her body as her eyes rolled to the back of her head, the limp body falling over on its side.

He flicked his arm out to the side, blood splaying off of it. Ciel replaced the gun in its holster before walking to the entrance of the room. He glanced back at the shirtless demon.

“Let’s go.”

Sebastian smirked, following suit.

“As you wish.”

~~~

The pair ran in the night, making their way back to the Phantomhive manor. Ciel took full advantage of the fact that he did not grow tired in this realm.

“How did you do it?”

“I used the contract. Summoned the door, followed your trail.”

Sebastian looked over at the Earl, watching him sigh and look off to the side.

“You still have a duty to fulfill, that is all.”

“Of course.”

“That is why I came.”

“Right, young master.”

“You bastard, stop being smug!”

The demon smiled, long locks of hair whipping against his face as he ran alongside his master, “Whatever do you mean, young master?”

“Why yo- _Hnng!_ ”

“My lord!”

Ciel stopped, falling to his knees as he gripped his middle. Sebastian leaned down, instinctively picking up the small form. Ciel winced as he held his stomach, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal a massive spot in his middle that was pure black. It wasn’t like blood or any liquid at that but more like dark ashes eating away at stomach. Sebastian grit his teeth, running off towards the mansion with the Earl in his arms.

“I was wondering what it was that you sacrificed-“

Ciel’s voice came out in strained whispers, “Everything comes with a price.”

“What did you do?!”

The lord gripped onto the demon’s slick muscles, burying his nose into the defined chest.

“I came to retrieve what is rightfully mine.”

“You idiot! What is it worth if you die!?”

Ciel groaned at the pain.

“How long have you been in here?!”

“Ah..about…three hours. I left at 2:45”

Sebastian swallowed. Time went by slower here. There may be time. They may not be too late. He grit his teeth.

“You really are a hopeless human being…”

“Wh-what a..way to talk..hng, to you master..”

“Tch!”

Sebastian picked up the pace, blurring through the red of the moonlight. He continued to talk to Ciel, more so to make sure he did not doze off. Within a few minutes, the mansion came into sight. Sebastian sped up the stairs, stopping to place Ciel gently on his feet. The wounded master looked up at the demon, watching as Sebastian outstretched his contract hand on the dark wood.

“Abdia, Ballaton, Bellony, Halliy, Halliza, Soluzen!”

The burning door reappeared, the contract on Sebastian’s hand glowing red as he reached out and pushed the door open, revealing the candlelit foyer of the human realm Phantomhive manor beyond the portal.

The two froze, eyes wide and mouths agape. Sebastian’s whole body shook, fists balled up as he tried to piece together what he saw. Ciel lowered his lids, sighing in resolve as he looked at his bloody unmoving form slumped on the floor before the entrance. A puddle of dark blood pooled around the body, a few drips coming out of the slack mouth and falling onto the ground.

“YOUNG MASTER!”

“Ah, I see.. so it was my soul that came. Shit.. Looks like..I took a little longer than I’d planned..”

Sebastian looked at the standing Ciel next to him, scooping him back up into his arms when he began to fall.

“NO! Ho-How could you do something so stupid?!”

Ciel winced, “I have my own agenda and at the top are my priorities..of my choosing, of course.”

Sebastian grit his teeth, looking down into the gleaming pair of eyes.

“Sebastian,” Ciel reached a hand up, cupping the demon’s cheek, “I told you..I would follow you to the deepest pits of hell-“

“My Lo-!”

“My damned soul. It belongs to you, Sebastian-“

“Young master, ple-!”

“As well as my heart.”

“Tch!” Sebastian buried his face into the crook of Ciel’s neck, inhaling the sweet scent there. He was frightened. So very frightened. He wanted to pass the threshold, check to see if he was alive. But he knew that if he wasn’t...if he wasn’t, these were the last conscious moments of Ciel Phantomhive that he would ever receive. He closed his eyes tight, lifting his head, “Why-…Why did you come?!”

“Stupid demon,” Ciel looked up, smiling crookedly and genuinely for the first time since meeting Sebastian, “…because you are mine. Sebastian.”

The demon’s breath hitched at such words when the body in his arms suddenly went limp.

“N-no!”

Sebastian looked up at the portal, his heart beating fast in his chest. He had no other choice. He clenched his jaw, hugging the Earl tight against him as he stepped through, being careful to not tread on the bloody body. Once on the other side, the master in Sebastian’s arms seemed to disappear, his soul returning to the limp form on the floor. The demon looked down. He had returned to his usual butler self, the form he presented to his new master twelve years prior.

Sebastian glanced at the clock.

2:50. It had been five minutes in the human realm. He leaned down, picking the bloody body up carefully. He closed his eyes, listening intently. Sebastian waited three seconds… and there it was. A heartbeat. Red eyes flashed open, Sebastian running with the boy up the stairs with inhuman speed. Ciel’s pulse was so faint that only a demon’s senses would be able to pick it up. He had lost so much blood he would be declared dead immediately if a doctor was there. 

The demon burst into the master quarters, gently placing Ciel on the bed. Without hesitation, he ripped open the bloodied shirt, frowning at how deep the wound was. Sebastian disappeared, running off to the lower level infirmary of the mansion before returning moments later with a bucket full of tools. Gently as well as swiftly, Sebastian stitched up the wound, wrapping the boy’s middle with thin strands of white cloth. He was entirely too grateful the wound missed vital organs. More so that his young master was smart enough to know exactly where to stab. He wrapped the wounded hand as well. The demon was fast and clean about his work, hoping it would not all be in vain.

Here was the hard part.

Sebastian reached out, placing a hand on Ciel’s cheek. He was cold. He had lost a detrimental amount of blood. The demon reached down into the bucket, pulling out the last of his supplies. He placed a glass container with a funnel atop it on the dresser accompanying it with a long thin tube tipped with a needle and a small hand pump in the middle of it. He remembered going throughout the cult investigation years prior, Ciel telling him to take one of the tools they used to extract and transfer blood with and keep it here for future advantage. Who would have thought it’d be put to use in this kind of situation?

Sebastian glanced down at the glass container, pulling a dagger out of his coat pocket.

_‘This may kill him..’_

Sebastian glanced at the still body on the bed.

_’But if I do not try, he is already dead. What choice do I have?’_

The demon held his wrist above the funnel, slicing the blade through the skin there, the wound deep enough that a human would have died from it within the hour. Blood gushed from the wound, filling up the glass container. Sebastian continued, filling up multiple metal pitchers he had brought with him to be able to refill the small device when needed. When he figured he had enough to begin the procedure, the demon licked his wound, it healing instantly. He gripped the cold body’s arm, pressing two fingers in the crook of his elbow. It was now or never.

He grabbed the needle attached to the tube, piercing the thin layer of skin and sliding it into a vein. Sebastian placed the other end secure in the red liquid, using the pump in the middle of the cord to start the blood flow from the vial into Ciel.

He looked at the pale face, blue tinted lips, lifeless expression…

_‘Ciel…’_

~~~

Blood dripped down the side of the empty glass vial on the night stand. The moonlight was the only illumination in the dark quarters, outlining the two bodies on the bed. Ciel was now garbed in a thin nightshirt, Sebastian in his white button up and black slacks. 

Multiple vials of blood and twenty-three hours later, the butler had finally climbed in next to the still form. His arms wrapped tight around the body next to him, holding it carefully to his chest. He burrowed his face into Ciel’s hair, inhaling every ounce of the boy’s aura. His eyes were shut tight, gloveless hands rubbing back and forth, caressing silky skin through the thin cloth of the shirt. He gripped onto every curve of the unmoving body, memorizing every inch, every crease, every follicle. He could never forget. He intertwined his legs with Ciel’s, entangling himself entirely in a desperate attempt to make two into one. Long fingers traveled slowly up the inside of the soft fabric, gliding over Ciel’s spine as they played tenderly over every vertebrae, counting as they went. 

Sebastian lifted his head slightly, placing the his master’s nose on his. Those usually bright red eyes were now dull, rimmed with red and soaking in every regret he had made within the past twelve years. Long fingers brushed a few strands of hair out of the angelic face before him. Sebastian leaned in, resting his lips gently on top of the unmoving set below him, his voice coming out in a gargled and desperate whisper.

“Young master…”

The body gave no response.

“I’m sorry. I am so sorry…that I failed to protect you..”

Sebastian trembled, gripping tighter onto the body as if he needed it to breathe. Which, by all means, he absolutely did. Nothing could compare to the shredded reality he was experiencing. There lie one of the strongest demons to ever exist, bowing and clutching onto his broken king. All the pawns had indeed fell at his feet, truths becoming lies, night going up in flames.. He clenched his jaw. He never wanted it to end this way. 

He never wanted it to end.

The demon planted a damp kiss upon the thin lips, deepening it as broken breaths escaped his aching chest. Pain ripped through him, agony clutching onto every fiber of his being, torment engulfing his mind and swallowing him whole with pleasuring promises of never letting him live a moment more. He paused, whispering desperate pleas filled with passion upon the still mouth that was the only hell he’d ever accept. 

“I will not let you go… ”

He pressed his lips harder against the Earl’s, grabbing the body even more, bringing it closer to his chest, closer to the warmth of his body, closer to his heart.

“I exist solely for you. That..that’s why I-..”

He grit his teeth, stifling the urge to scream out.

“You are by far the most wicked and wretched sin I know…that is why you must..please, young master…..you must…”

Sebastian slid his around hand under the gown, resting it softly over Ciel’s heart, lips upon lips, damp cheeks flesh with the fragile lord’s. 

"....live."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _To be continued..._
> 
>  
> 
> _rabid-bunny.tumblr.com_
> 
>  
> 
> _**Edited and proof read by yelisolis**_


	7. Birth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shock sent an arousing shiver up his spine with the sudden realization: _The boy, himself, was evil incarnate._

The leaves rustled outside of the Phantomhive manor, scattering onto the stairs on the entryway and settling in the accumulated dirt before the door. Fallen twigs joined the pile, making the abandoned upkeep of the outside of the manor apparent. Small, white letters were stuffed into the mail slot, dried water stains from a late spring rain decorating their envelopes. Every window to the manor was closed, every dark curtain pulled shut. The mansion looked deserted and left to rot, the exterior being left to nothing but the heat and oncoming summer. Not for such a long period in time, though, for the doorknob still shined from its last polishing. The garden was wilted and a bit unkempt but still alive.

And the roses. The roses were full and as beautiful as ever. These were being kept in well condition. By someone who must be very fond of them.

Beyond the dark wooden door, through the empty hallways of a secluded home, past the untouched kitchen that was lightly covered in dust, up the stairs and round the corners, through a wide doorway hidden by the daytime shadows and the now night time’s dark embrace, stood a being.

A tall, dark being who would go by the title of the Phantomhive manor’s head butler.

That is, if he had anyone to serve.

Sebastian glanced over to the closed curtains of his master’s bedroom window. The fine material of his black trousers swishing was the only sound as he made his way across the room. A single gloved finger reached out, cracking the curtains and letting in a sliver of moonlight, it flooding into the room as if the dark space were begging to be fed as the silver stream shone across the bed in the middle of the chamber.

Sebastian left the curtain like this, glancing back to the large cloud-like bed, stalking over to the edge quietly to gaze upon the white sheets. He reached out, clothed fingertips gliding over the over-stuffed pillows. Not even the smallest of breaths escaped the demon as he carefully climbed on top of the mattress, sitting on the very edge.

His eyes traced the light that played on top of the clean cloth, stretching up diagonally to the top of the pillows. He reached down, tugging the covers an inch below where they landed to reveal the smallest bit of gray underneath. He swallowed, folding them down more.

The streak of moonlight washed over the twenty-two-year-old earl’s still face. Gray hair shined, seemingly well kept within the boy’s state of comatose. Sebastian bit a glove off, leaning in to grace the small white cheek with the side of his hand.

“It has been nearly two weeks, my Lord,” Sebastian trailed his hand down the base of Ciel’s neck, his fingers circling the skin there and waiting until they felt that low and barely noticeable thump of a heartbeat, “it is time to awaken.”

He leaned down, brushing strands of perfectly settled coal gray hair out of the motionless face, placing a small peck on Ciel’s forehead. Sebastian stood, replacing his glove and turning to leave the room. Every foot step he took echoed throughout his ears, blisteringly loud. He had come to despise every sound belonging to this world that had nothing to do with his master.

Oh, how he missed it.

The sound of Ciel ruffling through the morning paper. The soft murmurs that escaped his throat in the morning. The steady heartbeat. The calming breaths. The voice that chimed in and broke through to his damned ears, his damned soul. The clicking of his teeth when a german lesson went sour, the tapping of his foot when his patience ran dry. But his favorite was something much more intimate.

The sound of his given name, rolling off of that sweet tongue.

Sebastian remembered all of these as he came to the end of the bed, reminding himself to not look towards the mattress. He must go attend to the roses and if he were to look again, he would never leave. How he wished he could never leave. But he knew that if his master were to return to the rotting remains of his beloved roses, he would have to answer to him.

And if his master never returned at all, he would have nothing to remember him by.

So the roses must be tended to.

He straightened up taller, taking another step towards the door when the slightest of noises had him frozen in place. The demon’s eyes jet back towards the back when a small rustle came from underneath the covers. His heart hammered in his chest and threatened to escape up his throat. He was so utterly shocked, he simply stood at the end of the bed, watching. Movement. More movement. Thin legs tossed under the covers, small hands coming up to pull them down further while his eyes remained closed. Sebastian licked his lips, noticing he was not breathing once again. A light pink dust came across Ciel’s face, the fine brow furrowing into confusion as his eyes, still, remained closed. Sebastian watched small legs kick the covers off, revealing the newly washed night shirt and renewed bandages pooled up by the thin waist.

He could not take it anymore.

“My lo-“

Within a flash and without knowing how, Sebastian was violently pinned up against the wall, a grunt escaping his throat as his back was shoved through the young lord’s dresser. A large crack traveled up to the ceiling, wood shavings from the broken dresser raining down around his face. He squinted from the subtle pain, widening his gaze to properly take in what was going on.

A hand was on his throat, gripping tight as sharp fingernails drew blood. The demon licked his lips, seemingly unfazed by the current situation before being slammed further into the wall, the destruction of his master’s room’s foundation being brutally threatened.

He kept his hands at his sides, lowering his face down to the one in front of his as much as he could with such a powerful grip around his neck. His plea came out short and quiet.

“Ciel.”

~~~

Dark, calming waters, deep and mesmerizing. Ciel found himself floating in the middle of this forsaken ocean, this moving and suffocating void. His small form simply existed there, eyes closed as he brought awareness to his senses. One moment, he recalled being cold on the floor, bleeding out every last drop of life he had. He remembered Sebastian. His palm began to tingle, thinking of when he cupped his servant’s cheek, speaking fondly to him.

He must be dead. This is what he thought. What he would have preferred.

What he would have wished for over the burning sensation that began to now fill his entire body. Ciel screamed into the empty void, the molten and unseen pain searing his every nerve. His veins were ablaze, his existence in this place pure agony.

And he welcomed every moment of it.

 

Ciel believed he was no greater than any being, but that he himself was the lowest of them all. With that, he resolved in feeling the worst of pains imaginable. He took a deep breath, screaming into the darkness to no avail.

Still, with the fire licking and consuming every inch of his body from the inside out, he never would have imagined it’d feel like this.

He writhed and screamed in the dark space for what seemed like an eternity, clawing at his own flesh, at his own naked body, drowning and rising, spinning and falling, lost within the confines of his own damned mind.

Then came that voice.

That sweet, sweet voice.

He closed his eyes, reveling in it.

‘Live’ it said. Why must he? He had nothing more to do, he was done. There it was again. And again. He heard it, he grasped onto, he let it comfort him like a cool blanket on a hot summer day as he was being eaten alive by fiery shards. He let it consume him as he existed, hearing the sounds of his own hoarse screams, the feel of his own blood boiling, the sweet voice behind it all.

He loved it.

And he hated it so.

Suddenly, it stopped. Ciel held his breath, stopping his agonizing wails for the first time in what he had no idea was passing days, weeks… His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed. Silence overtook the place. He floated in the dark oblivion, waiting.. and listening..

Then, there it was.

The voice.

Sweet and sultry. The thing he had grown to love.

And hate with a passion.

Raging eyes opened, darting and catching hold of their target within a millisecond. Ciel perched atop his bed before flinging himself across the room with such force, the headboard broke against the wall. Sebastian’s red gaze widened as he stared first at the grip on his throat then at the eyes below him. The eyes of his master.

They were no longer the eyes of a mere mortal. No.

They shone and raged like those of a beast.

“Ciel…”

Ciel pinned his butler further up against the wall with unknown strength when a sudden wave, a sudden want, no, need of something washed over him. He felt Sebastian’s throat, he felt the vibrations from that voice leaving it. He could hear his heart beating, feel his pulse. He craved it.

As much as he hated it.

Small hands reached down and ripped the top portion of the demon’s uniform off of him with such force the threads had no hope of being repaired. Sebastian clutched onto Ciel’s wrists, trying to get a hold of the crazed and out of control earl.

“Young master! You must- _nngh!”_

Ciel grabbed Sebastian by the belt on his pants and flung him across the room. The demon landed, poised in front of the mostly covered windows. The next second, Ciel was across the room, swinging out to get a hold of the man once more. Sebastian was barely missed when he stepped back, Ciel swiping the curtains instead and ripping them clear off of the pole. Cold moonlight flooded the room as Ciel strut across to his butler, body slinking, mouth closed and taut, eyes burning with fury and something else..

There was something…something about him.

Sebastian wandered through his thoughts, his breath hitching as he watched the half garbed earl grace himself slowly across the room toward him.

Something about the sway of those hips, the suppleness of his thighs, the beauty of his porcelain skin that rimmed his rounded eyes which now held the color of bloody oceans, thick and deep. He couldn’t quite grasp what is was, but he felt he was getting closer..

Sebastian watched him come, retreating when Ciel darted across the room once more but to no avail, for he was once again pinned against the wall. Sebastian had enough, his blood was consuming Ciel and he knew he had to get him to control it. Or else…

“Young master, listen to m-“

Ciel pinned himself against his butler, small hands with fingernails dipped in onyx intoxication caressed Sebastian’s cheek, pulling on the fine jaw. He could feel it. Feel the blood that coursed through Sebastian’s body. The hot, liquid that ran through every vein in his perfectly sculpted frame, the living red force that was damned as it was cursed.

The same blood that now ran through his own veins.

Ciel pressed his palms against the solid middle of Sebastian’s nude abdomen, the demon cutting off his words when he felt sharp claws dig into the flesh. He reached out, hand darting to Ciel’s throat and gripping him there.

Ciel’s eyes flashed for a split second, the innocent wonder from his youth cascading over his face, going down to touch his now agape mouth as he stared in shock when the hand tightened. Sebastian grit his teeth, every ounce of pain on Ciel’s face crushing him from the inside out. He loosened the hand.

He couldn’t possibly hurt his master. His Ciel. His-

 _“Nrgh!”_ It wasn’t even a second after that Sebastian was regretting his decision. The spur of innocence in those bright eyes left just as quickly as it came. Ciel reached out, grabbing Sebastian’s arm and slamming it up against the wall, cracks erupting from the impact as plaster fell all around them. His other hand came up to grip onto Sebastian’s throat once more and when the demon tried to remove that grip, he squeezed with no mercy.

Sebastian squinted, the sharp canines in his mouth elongating as he watched the beautiful catastrophe before him. He could not hurt him. But something must be done.

“Ci..ie-“

Ciel slid his hand up to grip onto Sebastian’s jaw…

Leaning in to plant a mean and sultry kiss upon that snarling mouth. Those lips became flesh with his, molding to his own, open and needy, as if they were formed to tread upon his and his alone. It came to Sebastian, what he had wondered before, what was different in the air about Ciel. A shock sent an arousing shiver up his spine with the sudden realization: _Ciel Phantomhive, himself, was evil incarnate._

Red eyes flew open wide, the feel of that plump mouth atop his own sending Sebastian into a world of chaos within his own mind. Something inside of him suddenly was ignited. Something that had died long ago, the night Ciel had lost nearly all of his humanity.

Sebastian let out a gurgled muffle against the lips before they were ripped from him, Ciel flinging the butler down onto the floor. Sebastian landed on his back, looking up at the slim body that landed right on top of him. Ciel’s thin nightgown rode high up his perfect, succulent thighs that now straddled the demon. He pressed them together, feeling Sebastian quake below him.

The voice, the body, the heat, the blood.

He was aware of it all. He leaned forward, grabbing a hold on Sebastian’s belt as the demon dug his claws into the floor. He wanted it. He craved it. He needed it.

He hated it.

Sebastian growled when Ciel bit down hard on his neck, the newly razor-sharp teeth cutting right through his skin. He barely noticed when thin hands ripped the button off of his slacks, the small thing flying across the room to hit the wall. Ciel sat up, closing his eyes momentarily as he lulled his head to the side before reopening them to stare directly down at his butler. Tousled dark strands of hair feathered around his face, the moonlight illuminating his svelte body, those delicate curves, the heated joints and cheeks that pulled him in. And in. And in.

Sebastian swallowed. Enough was enough.

His eyes slit, the room suddenly growing dark as Ciel felt the Sebastian suddenly slip from beneath him.

Before the petite earl was pinned against the floor boards of his chamber.

 **“If you will not listen,”** Sebastian growled out into Ciel’s ear, every word dripping with sensual intoxication and causing the young master to melt beneath the weight, **“then I will find a way to make you.”**

Ciel let out a cry when he was smashed chest down onto the floor. The reflection of his bright, glowing eyes shone on the wooden floor, his sharp nails leaving scratches above his head. Sebastian materialized in the thick of the darkness, pinning Ciel down as his body blanketed over the soft curves of his master’s backside. The room creaked from the immense amount of energy Sebastian was exerting, black misty smoke suffocating every inch of space and helping pin the writhing Ciel down. Sebastian bent forward, large hands traveling down Ciel’s sides before they stopped to dig sharp claws into his hips.

Another cry from the struggling form, Sebastian only leaning in to whisper hotly into his master’s ear, “Is this what you want?”

He pulled Ciel’s back side high up into the air, roughly parting bare thighs to let a hand flow up to the apex, “Is this what you crave, young master?”

Ciel trembled, letting out another cry when Sebastian gripped his erection through the thin cloth of his night shirt and his undergarments. The demon was completely in control now, snaking that slippery tongue all around Ciel’s ear, making him melt in a puddle right there on the floor. Ciel lifted a hand, slamming it down onto the floor and cracking the wood there. That voice was so thick. So sultry. So needy and intoxicating. So, so sweet. Passionately, fiercely and desperately, he loved it so.

And he hated it so.

“ARGH!”

Ciel’s scream had Sebastian’s eyes going wide before the demon was kicked back with such force, he scrambled down on his back. Ciel pounced on Sebastian, tearing at the waist of his pants before they lowered enough to allow him to slip a hand inside. The room thudded with Sebastian’s moan, his pupils slitting when Ciel gave him a rough squeeze.

Their positions were flipped, Sebastian once again pinning Ciel down to rip the thin nightgown off of his body, “You have lost control,” to grab a hold of the scrawny earl’s underwear and shred them in contact, “you have lost all discipline,” and release himself from his own trousers, “and now, I will give it back to you.”

_“AAungh!”_

Ciel’s scream split the air in two when the thick girth of Sebastian slid mercilessly into his heat. That thin back arched, claws scraping at the wood and carving pleasure and pain into every inch they could reach. Sebastian slid out to slam back in, gripping tighter onto that svelte waist as he groaned in inexplicable pleasure.

Day after day, night after night, hours, minutes, the seconds Sebastian was without his young master, the torment it caused him. To be without Ciel was to wander listlessly through a throng of decomposing bodies, waiting and hoping for the day he, too, could be gifted the sweet and foul kiss of eternal damnation within a cauldron of searing molten rock. Oh, how he had ached.

He reached up, burying a hand into those dusty locks, fangs protruding as he reveled in the way Ciel wrapped so tightly around him.

Oh, yes, how he ached.

Ciel suddenly dropped his shoulders, pushing back onto Sebastian. The demon hissed, being caught off guard momentarily as Ciel removed himself, spinning around and throwing Sebastian against a moonlit window. The glass cracked with the sudden blow but did not give way, Ciel soon landing right before Sebastian.

He stared into those red eyes, reaching out and suddenly sinking his claws into Sebastian’s midsection.

“Augh!” Sebastian winced at the pain, Ciel trailing those sharp claws down the perfectly taut physique of his butler before dropping right to his knees.

“CIE- _nngh!_ ”

Before another word could escape that hell-bent mouth, Ciel opened his own and slipped all of his proud butler deep into his throat.

The demon shuddered and when Ciel came up to the head of the thick flesh to slam his mouth back onto it, Sebastian let out a growl so loud the entire manor shook in place. Ciel was unfazed, bobbing his head up and down at a fast and steady pace, labored moans escaping him as he slurped and sucked as if he depended on it.

And, oh, he did.

The taste of his butler was all too delicious. The sound of that voice was so intoxicating, Ciel would swallow it whole if he could. He swirled his tongue, digging his claws further into that fine stomach to get another cry of pleasure and pain from the servant. Yes. That voice. That was what he needed. Oh, how he loved.

And oh… how he hated it so.

“ACK!” Sebastian yelled when he felt sharp teeth gently graze along his length, pulling tight on Ciel’s hair to wrench that angelic face up towards his. Each word came out labored and just above a growl, “So this.. is how you wish to play.. my lord?”

Sebastian gripped Ciel by his throat, turning the crazed earl towards the window, **“then so be it.”**

Sebastian gave a swift kick to his middle, sending Ciel flying out of the window. Glass shattered as Ciel quickly regained composure in midair. He grabbed a hold of the side of the building, using it to hoist himself up high in the air above the manor, landing on the rooftop with a soft thud.

Sebastian jumped out of the shattered window, following suit after Ciel and landing on the roof.

The demon watched those hungry, dark eyes search him. He bit his gloves off, lifting a finger to his master and beckoning. There was only one way to handle this.

“Well? Come then.”

Ciel did just that. He pounced after Sebastian like the damned animal he had become. The two scuffled atop the manor, brick and rubble falling all around them as they slammed into countless chimneys, creating holes that Sebastian knew he would have to tend to later on.

With a quick grab at Ciel’s middle, Sebastian pinned the flailing master down onto cold, shattered rubble, grabbing hold of his exposed erection. Ciel arched his back, screaming out into the night as Sebastian leaned in to snarl into his ear, “There is no one here to hear you, young master.”

Ciel shuddered, kicking his legs and thrusting his hips up into Sebastian’s grip when that skilled hand began to work him up and down, “Is this what you want? What you crave?”

There was that voice again. Ciel lulled his head from side to side, his foggy memory drowning him in a pool of pleasure, searing his skin with jolts of pain. He was so overtaken by the feel of his butler, by the sound of that voice, by the taste of him still upon his lips, he wrenched himself backwards, right onto the edge of the manor.

Sebastian’s eyes went wide when Ciel wriggled out of his grasp, watching his young master begin to lean back into the black abyss that was the edge of the rooftop. Ciel’s arms went up, his hair falling in front of his face as his body began to teeter over..and over..and ov-

“NO!” Within a flash, Sebastian was at the edge, holding Ciel by his wrist. He pulled him back onto the roof, collecting him into his arms immediately on the edge before they both fell to their knees.

Sebastian inhaled the scent of Ciel’s hair, his skin, his life as his own demonic heart sped in his chest at the thought of almost losing him. Again.

Ciel sat, eyes wide in shock, tears flowing from both in the quiet embrace. His arms that were instinctively wrapped around Sebastian felt so warm.. so hot. His palms twitched with the want to hug him back.. with the need to hold him there.

But he did not. Instead, he wrapped his legs tight around the demon, quickly placing himself right on top of Sebastian’s still hard cock and biting down hard on his neck.

Sebastian groaned out when he felt the delicious heat overtake him, once again, throwing his head back when those sharp teeth drew blood at the base of his neck. Breathing in hard, he grabbed Ciel by the throat, wrenching the needy little mouth off of him as he held onto his thin chin at an arm’s length.

Ciel bit his lip, looking into those red, burning eyes before throwing his head back with a gurgled cry of pleasure. His body flew back with each relentless thrust Sebastian gave, the demon supporting Ciel as he pushed further and further into that sweet spot, as he grinded harder and faster into his little lord, as they both dangled high off the edge of the mansion.

The moonlight caressed Ciel’s exposed body in shimmery slopes of milk as he bent backwards over the dark abyss. Sebastian kept his hands tight on Ciel, driving them both closer to the edge. He leaned in over him, growling into his ear, “Ciel…my blood.. it courses through your veins-“

_“Mmngh~”_

“You will listen.. to what I say..”

_“Hhah~”_

He grabbed his little lord, sitting him upright in his lap and he continued to slide deep within him. Sebastian whispered right onto those parted lips, “I will not lose you..again..”

_“Ngh! Se…”_

“You must..speak, my lord-“

Ciel wrinkled his brow, sinking his claws deeper into Sebastian’s back as he bounced faster up and down onto his butler. He lulled his head back before Sebastian grabbed that thin jaw, forcing those eyes forward, “You must speak, Ciel… hold on to your humanity.. speak..”

_“MMng~”_

Sebastian’s orders came out in breathy moans as he felt Ciel begin to tighten around him, “Ciel.. Ciel, speak..speak to me..”

“Se…se..”

“Mmm, come on.. Speak, Ciel,” Sebastian gripped onto Ciel’s face with two hands, those bright eyes opening wide to look at him as watched the red tint from them finally begin to pass, “Speak…CIEL!”

_“Mmg..S- **SEBASTIAN!** ”_

Blue and purple shone through bright eyes as Sebastian exhaled, shoving his tongue down that sultry throat. Onyx tipped fingers returned to their shade of delicate cherry blossoms. Ciel moaned, his grip finally grasping Sebastian in an intimate embrace. A cloud of mist seemed to lift from his head, causing him to release more tears. He pressed himself tighter against his demon, the feel of their bodies together, the taste of his beloved demon’s tongue, of him completely sheathed within him all too much.

Sebastian didn’t let Ciel break their mouths apart when his body began to tremble, moans slipping down his throat as his young master came violently onto his stomach.

And that just about did him in.

Sebastian followed suit, growling out as he suckled on Ciel’s tongue, pushing himself even deeper as he released everything he had into his beloved young master.

The two sat there, covered in moonlight upon the roof, rocking slowly into each other as they rode out as much of the euphoric high as they could.

Sebastian wiped silky locks of hair out of Ciel’s face to cup a cherry blossomed cheek, “Ciel…”

Ciel reached up, placing his hand atop Sebastian’s, panting as he stared back through lidded eyes, “Se..Sebastian.. what..am I?”

Sebastian pulled the beautiful face forward, giving a soft kiss to the damp forehead, another feathery kiss to the velvety lips before whispering the one-worded response atop.

"Alive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for the patience, I am greatly honored. Mm, tell me, what was your favorite part?_
> 
>  
> 
> **Edited and proof read by Yelisolis**
> 
> Hi! Yelisolis here. I just wanted to drop by and say a quick thank you for all the love and support you've shown this fic. Bunny and I really love this story and are immensely glad it seems to connect with so many of you! Much more to come... HOLD ON TIGHT!


	8. Foolishness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My young master never did prefer things the easy way,” Sebastian secured one wrist to a leather strap on one side of the bed, “which is why I must always be prepared.” He followed suit with the next. “I wouldn’t be worth my salt as the Phantomhive butler if I wasn’t.”

“Young master,” Sebastian pushed a serving cart into Ciel’s bedroom. “For today’s tea, a fine new herbal mix imported straight from India, steeped perfectly to your taste. To accompany that, a light lemon custard to start your day, topped with powdered sugar, which I usually do not condone so early in the morning but I think I shall allow it this once.” Sebastian lifted a china tea cup, pouring steaming tea into it before setting it on a small saucer and extending his arms with the offering.

Ciel sat perched on the edge of his bed, garbed in nothing but the thin white sheets pooling at his waist. He looked off towards the windows. The early morning sunlight graced his skin beautifully, accentuating the soft curves of his youthful face and sleep-tousled hair. All signs of injury had long disappeared from his body, leaving behind flawless milky skin that prickled playfully from the cool breeze coming from outside.

Sebastian watched Ciel take the cup and saucer into his hands, gaze still affixed on the source of sunlight. The demon allowed his eyes to wander shamelessly across his young master’s frame. He was breathing. He was a bit lean but he was healthy and there was nothing a good meal or two could not fix. He watched more goosebumps prickle Ciel’s skin with another gust of air. How incredibly human he was. Sebastian reveled in this thought. Reveled in the pink tint of Ciel’s ears, the particularly darker spot on a cheekbone from sleeping on one side all night. He continued to gaze upon the young earl as he stood and walked to the windows in all of his nude glory. The sway of his delicate hips, the sound of his soft feet padding across the wood, his hand coming up to cover his eyes a bit from the sunlight... Yes, he was human. Ciel lifted the cup of tea to his lips, taking in a good whiff of such an extravagant aroma of leaves. He truly was human.

Sebastian watched Ciel turn turn his gaze to him for the first time, eyes flickering from blue and violet to a liquid red before turning back.

As human as he could get.

“Sebastian.”

“Yes, my Lord?”

“It seems a bit chilly for spring.”

“Not for England, my Lord. And it is nearly summer.”

“Ah.” Ciel tapped his fingers on the teacup a moment before tossing it along with its saucer out of the gaping hole where a window should have been. “Perhaps it is just me then.”

Sebastian stood still as Ciel began walking in his direction, feet crunching atop splintered wood that littered his destroyed room. Torn rags for what remained of his curtains flowed with a gust of wind through the shattered windows behind him. Ciel stalked past Sebastian, his destination revealing itself to be his washroom before he spoke aloud to the only other being in the room.

“Clean up this mess.”

* * *

“Ahem.”

“No.”

Sebastian stood at the entrance to Ciel’s study. His face was made of stone as he stared at his stubborn master who didn’t even let him get a word out.

“My lord--”

“I know what you’re going to say and the answer is no,” Ciel pushed some paperwork to the side, picking up another stack, “I’m not hungry.”

Sebastian opened the door the rest of the way to reveal a cart topped with a silver covered platter that held what was to be the earl’s dinner. “You have yet to eat today.”

“I will eat when I see it fit.”

“My lord--”

“Sebastian.” Ciel’s tone was stern and bordering annoyance. He sighed and finally lifted his chin to set eyes upon his butler. He swallowed. Just looking at the demon riled up something deep within him, something still unknown, that ached and burned. A certain hunger. “I’m not hungry.”

Sebastian pushed the cart into the room, stopping it next to Ciel’s desk, “You cannot lie to a devil, dear boy.”

“Perhaps not,” Ciel rose from his seat, the close proximity at which his butler stood to him making him a bit...uncomfortable. He made his way over to the lit fireplace. “However, as the devil’s master, I can do as I please.” He could smell him. He could smell Sebastian. It was a thick, rich scent, sweet yet bitter and unfathomably mouthwatering. Whenever Sebastian was around, it was completely overwhelming. It took all of Ciel’s control to restrain what this...this new sensation he had inside of him was. Ciel stared at the flames, throwing a stack of papers into them and taking a big whiff of the scent of burning documents. It was nothing compared to the scent of a demon with his newly heightened senses but it was distraction enough. 

“May I speak freely?”

Ciel did not turn in the slightest, “Do as you wish.”

“You have been avoiding me all day, since you awoke this morning.”

“How needy of a demon. Though, I suppose I don’t find it completely unlike you to want attention.”

“It is not attention I wish for, my lord.” Sebastian left the abandoned meal, silently making his way behind Ciel. “It is you.”

Ciel’s pupil slit in time with his gasp, the feel of Sebastian’s fingers now lightly touching the top of his spine causing a bit of red to tinge his eye’s usual azure.

“I do not have human emotions so I can only imagine in my ignorance what it is you are feeling at this time,” Sebastian lowered his hand, the red tint of Ciel’s eye growing more prominent with each inch. “However, I do understand my own limitations as a selfish demon. You are my charge and I must see to it you are in good health. Therefore, my lord, you must ea--”

“No!” Ciel whipped around, smacking Sebastian’s hand away from his waist and taking a step back towards the fire. His eye was almost completely red now. His chest heaved, a low, menacing sound escaping his throat as he half-way collapsed onto the side of the fireplace behind him. Sebastian thought to reach out to grab hold of him but upon his better judgment, he remained still. Ciel watched his butler’s face distort with deep anguish and something he hated. Worry. His head was pounding, the blood in his veins hot with each pump his heart gave. Sebastian was too close. His scent was too much. Sebastian was too much. He fought to hold onto control.

“I... I said I’m not... Nnn--”

Sebastian sighed before stepping forward and grabbing hold of Ciel’s face with one hand. “You are still just as stubborn as you were when I first met you twelve years ago.” He watched Ciel’s body shake beneath his touch, completely aware of the effect he had on him. The crimson tint of Ciel’s eye became more and more prominent with each stroke Sebastian’s thumb gave his cheek. “If you want to do things your way, then you must learn control. If not…” Ciel squinted when Sebastian’s thumb trailed across his bottom lip, “it will be your demise.”

Ciel held his breath. He knew Sebastian was right. He knew this very well. But that didn’t stop the burning urges he had, the unfathomable amount of hunger and lust for his demon that he fought to keep concealed. To be honest, he wasn’t very hungry for food. He highly doubted he could eat at all. Not with this butler, this mouth-watering demon before him. He licked the inside of his teeth, still holding his breath while Sebastian’s thumb didn’t move an inch. Ciel’s body began to tremble. He knew it was the blood. Demon blood. There was something different about him. Something strange. He knew that if he was not able to do as Sebastian said, eat as a human and control his urges, it truly would be his end. But the only way he, as the stubborn earl of Phantomhive, could cope with any of this was to keep the demon as far away from him as possible. However…Sebastian now had him cornered and refused to leave. Ciel inhaled slowly, body still trembling as he opened up his mouth. He dipped his tongue right over Sebastian’s gloved thumb. 

“..ore.”

Sebastian's brow arched, “What was that, my lord?”

“MORE!” Ciel grabbed hold of Sebastian's hand and shoved three fingers into his mouth. The tint from his now red eye reflected off of his cheeks. A growl escaped his chest as control quickly left him. 

Sebastian hissed when Ciel bit into him, blood soon coloring his white glove. Ciel hadn't eaten at all and Sebastian's blood was beginning to truly take over his body. The demon sighed. He wrenched his hand out of Ciel’s mouth and slammed him up against the wall. 

“Young Master.”

Ciel reached out for Sebastian before he was pinned to the fireplace mantel with even more force. 

“Ciel!”

Ciel licked his lips, his pupil slit as he broke one hand free to grab hold of Sebastian's belt. He pulled hard, forcing the demon's crotch right up against his. He lulled his head to the side, completely lost in the feel of his butler, the scent of his butler. He licked his lips again. The taste. He opened his mouth wide, ready to bite down on Sebastian's neck before a low thud had him sinking to the ground, unconscious. 

Sebastian grimaced. It was not in his aesthetics to physically detain or knock unconscious his master. And yet, he had run out of options. He scooped up the young man, turning to leave the study. A speckle of blood colored Ciel's cheek. Sebastian eyed his flawless face. His soft features, his peaceful expression. 

“How beautiful you are,” Sebastian leaned in to lick the blood from Ciel's cheek, “but, also, how foolish.”

* * *

Darkness. Ciel knew this place very well. It was where he had lived. Where he had died. Where he had been reborn. 

He floated in the thickness of it, unable to connect with any part of consciousness. He was alone again with nothing but his burning hunger for something unknown. As well as his thoughts.

He knew he was different. He could feel it. It was as if there were two sides to him. He remembered the very moment he was sure he died. Rescuing his demon took more than a toll on him but dying in his arms was a treat he had always anticipated. It was a satisfying end.

Or should have been.

His memories from awakening the night prior were blurry, as was everything else. He could remember the rush in his bloodstream, the pull towards his lifeline. The hunger was an unexplainable sensation. Far from a human’s need to eat but of the same context. Whatever it was that he had been craving, he absolutely needed it to survive in that moment.

So far all he knew was that it involved Sebastian.

He remembered how good it had felt to claw into his demon’s flesh and feel his blood, the blood he had been given. How good it felt to be hurt by him. Taken by him. 

Pleasured by him.

Ciel felt an all too familiar to him now burning sensation start in his veins. Although he was here alone in the darkness, he knew Sebastian was close. He could sense him. Feel him.

He could smell him.

Ciel’s eyelids flew open and he began to gasp for air. His chest heaved with every deep inhale he took. A thin layer of sweat covered his entire body but that was miniscule to his comfort compared to the raging fire within his core. His blood boiled as his sharp eyes darted from side to side. His bedroom had been returned to its former state, as if it'd never been destroyed. However it interested him none. 

His sight landed on what he had been searching for in less than a second. Sebastian.

The butler stood at the end of the bed, hands behind his back, watching Ciel with a humorless expression. 

The color in both of Ciel’s eyes soon became flooded with the tint of the demon’s blood. He sat up in bed, gave one good lick to a canine that was predominantly a little sharper now and leapt towards Sebastian.

A loud clack filled the room as Ciel was brought to an abrupt halt. Sebastian remained where he was, Ciel’s face a mere inch from his.

Surprise crossed Ciel’s features when realization hit him. There was some sort of collar tightly bound around his neck. Attached to it was a long leash-like strap, hooked onto the wall above his bed. Ciel scoffed, reaching up to rip the tiny strap of leather to shreds.

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” Sebastian’s voice was calm and collected. “It is reinforced with the same thing that drives you mad.”

Ciel dug his fingernails into the collar, groaning when he found his butler’s words to be true. Not even a scratch or a dent from his newfound strength could mar it. 

“The leather has been sealed with my blood.”

Ciel reached out, knowing his arms were close enough to grab hold of Sebastian. His wrists were snatched from the air. Sebastian held to them tight before shoving Ciel back down onto the bed. When Ciel made to jump up once more, Sebastian calmly climbed over him, shadowing his body with his own, and held his wrists to the bed.

“My lord--”

“AAARGH!”

“You must listen to me,” Sebastian pinned Ciel’s flailing legs beneath his own. “You are no longer fully human. My blood courses through your veins, yes. However, you are not fully demon.”

Ciel let out a long whine as he struggled against the weight of Sebastian. To have the demon this close to him, speaking to him, touching him… It was too much to bear. He had to have him. To taste him. To hurt him, want him, need him. Hate him. It was a chaotic wave of emotions and carnal instincts that drove him insane.

Sebastian continued. “You have the instincts of a demon. The growing strength of one. You can sense and see more than you could before. However,” Sebastian dug his nails into Ciel’s wrists, causing him to cry out in pain, “you are still human.”

Ciel heard everything he was being told and it certainly resonated with him. But what did it all mean? He cared not for such small talk or even talk at all. He wanted one thing and one thing only. To be let go so he could have his fill of the being he wanted and hated the most.

“So you must eat. If you do not, the demon side will take over.”

Ciel paused for just a moment. Why did that seem so bad? He could become a full demon, become stronger and have his ultimate fill of his demon. 

“And you will die.”

Ciel’s eyes flashed back to their original color before returning to their maroon tint.

“You were born human and human you shall remain. If my blood takes over, if you let it take control of you, it will eat away at what little is left of your humanity. Thus, you will perish.” Sebastian relinquished Ciel’s legs from beneath him when they stilled. “However, we must also keep the demon side satisfied or else it shall fade where your human side is too weak to exist on its own.”

Ciel stared at Sebastian in awe at the new information he was being given. Even in his current feral state, he was stunned into silence. Sebastian released one of his wrists. He brought a hand up to cup his master’s cheek, rubbing his thumb in circles over the red tint reflecting off of his skin. “Your existence is a fine and delicate balance,” he slid his thumb over Ciel’s parted lips, “but nothing is out of question for maintaining a perpetual soul. And I will see to that.”

Ciel wavered. He knew that he had to listen. A flash of memories suddenly flew through his mind. That night Sebastian was taken from their home. The days it took to cross to the other side and get him back. How it had felt to be in his arms again. He knew that was where he truly belonged.

It had been such agony, being without the demon. He would accept that never again. Not even now. Death may have been a sweet promise but if Sebastian wasn’t there with him, what in hell was it worth?

Ciel opened his mouth to respond but when he tried to speak, a burning sensation tore through his throat. Sebastian’s thumb still rested on his bottom lip. Suddenly, that became the only thing that mattered.

Sebastian sighed when Ciel bit down on his thumb. He had seen how Ciel had tried to speak, how he fought against his craving even in his current state. Although he knew Ciel was far from where he should be in order to continue living, he had hope yet. But for now, a needed lesson was in order.

Sebastian retracted his thumb, quickly grabbing Ciel’s wrist. “My young master never did prefer things the easy way,” he secured one wrist to a leather strap on one side of the bed, “which is why I must always be prepared.” He followed suit with the next. “I wouldn’t be worth my salt as the Phantomhive butler if I wasn’t.”

Ciel watched in horror and searing hunger as Sebastian tightened the strap on his last wrist. The demon watched Ciel struggle for a moment before bending down and smashing their mouths together. He stuffed his tongue into Ciel’s mouth, all too happy to receive the wanton moans from his ever so eager little earl. Sebastian slid a hand down Ciel's body, raising up his thin nightshirt to pool at his waist. He used his knees to widen Ciel’s legs and rolled his hips right into his exposed cock.

Ciel ripped his mouth from Sebastian’s to let out a long mewl. It felt so good, having his butler here. Having him this way. He wanted more. Needed more. He wanted him in every way. Needed him. He wanted to have him. To keep him. To destroy him. He pulled on the restraints again and again. Another thrust from Sebastian had his head falling back on his pillow and he yelled out at the ceiling.

Sebastian knew Ciel needed to be sated. He understood how confused he was. He could sense it. His master could hardly tell up from down when in such a state. Sebastian did, however, know of one way he could satiate him. There was more than one thing he had learned the night Ciel awoke after his two week coma.

Sebastian watched Ciel’s face twist in pleasure and pure aggression. He eyed the blood on the side of the earl’s mouth from when he had bit down on Sebastian’s tongue during their kiss. He grabbed Ciel’s face, “If you are not going to learn to control yourself,” Sebastian slid his hand down, wrapping it firmly around Ciel’s leaking cock, “then I am going to have to make you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with me this long. I hope you enjoyed. 
> 
> rabid-bunny.tumblr.com


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